Puzzle and Dragons World
by LordAstrea
Summary: Ray Andylon is one of few chosen from millions of players around the world to test the new virtual online game, Puzzle and Dragons "World." But Ray and the others soon find that this is no longer a game. Monsters seem to have a will of their own; players and monsters have agendas both malicious and pure; and in the real world, conspiracies unfold that could threaten both worlds.
1. Intro: PADW Game Guide

_**Intro-Puzzle and Dragons "World": Game**** Guide**_(Referring to the game guide is not a requirement, but it is highly recommended for Players and viewers. Game guide is open to changes with download of updates)

_ Greetings Player, and welcome to the new world of __**Puzzle and Dragons.**__ If you are viewing this guide then...Congratulations! You have been one of few selected from millions around the world to take part in the final testing stage of __**Puzzle and Dragons "World."**_

_ The first section of this guide is for non-players who will be viewing your exploits from the real world so that they can gain an understanding of how __**Puzzle and Dragons "World"**__ works based upon the basic game mechanics of the original game that are pertinent to your journey ahead. Below are two table of contents: one that involves basic game mechanics, and one that delves deeper into the additions added for __**PADW.**_

_ The first guide is, again, for new viewers to the game's mechanics and for you, if you would like a refresher on some key components that will serve you well on your journey. The guide provided herein is brief and only applies to what will be essential in this world. You can also refer to the wiki page here: wiki/New_Players'_Guide_

_ The second guide becomes more advanced, and will describe extra features and fighting mechanics that will be crucial to completing high tier dungeons and defeating other Players in combat. _

**Table of Contents 1:** select an option below to open the guide and begin the tutorial

1. Objective:

a. Goal

b. Dungeons

2. Gameplay:

a. Orb Moving

b. Monster Combat

c. Leader Skills

d. Active Skills

**Table of Contents 2:** tutorial will now be set to auto once you choose to proceed.

1. World Objective

2. Gameplay:

a. Player/Main Combat

b. Player Defense

c. New Puzzle Solving

d. Monster Updated Combat

e. Advanced Combat Strategies

3. Player Stats:

a. Growth Stats List w/ Explanation

b. Imbued Stats

c. Increasing Stats

d. Health

4. Status Ailments:

a. List of Ailments w/ Explanation

b. Removing Status Ailments

c. In-depth, Bleed Damage

5. PvP (Player vs. Player)

a. Engagement

b. Engagement Results

6. Level Up

a. Gaining Experience

b. Evolution

c. ?

7. Monsters

a. New Monsters

b. Monster Weapons

c. Weapon Upgrades

d. Fulfillment: Completion Form

8. Player Inventory

a. Starting Weapons

b. Items

c. Collecting

9. Dungeon Types

a. Normal Dungeons

b. Technical Dungeons

c. Special Dungeons

d. Party Dungeons

10. Magic Stones

a. Uses

b. Obtaining

11. Gold/Market

a. Gold Uses

b. The Marketplace

12. Guilds

a. A Word on Guilds

13. World Travel

_**!- PADPD (Puzzle and Dragons Personal Database)**_

**Final- A Final Word**

**Content 1:**

**1. ****Objective:**

**a. Goal:** The goal of Puzzle and Dragons is rather simple. The goal is to defeat dungeons using your monsters and matching up orbs with their attributes to defeat enemies. As you progress further through the game, the dungeons become increasingly challenging.

**b. Dungeons:** Each dungeon has a certain number of stages that a monster team progresses through. Each stage has a number of enemies to defeat and the player's team and the enemy team take turns attacking in RPG format (taking turns does not apply in PADW. Read Guide 2 for more details).

**2. ****Gameplay:**

**a. Orb Moving:** A Player is presented with a board that is comprised of orbs with the attributes wood, water, fire, light, and dark. Each monster that a player has in a team has one (or possibly two) of these attributes. A sixth orb is the heal orb, which recovers a team's health depending on a number known as RCV (each monster has an RCV number). The Player attempts to take one orb and move the said orb around the board to make as many combinations as possible that match the monster attributes and/or compliment leader skills (see 2. Gamplay c. leader skills). The Player has a certain amount of time to move orbs but is given as much time as he/she wants to scrutinize the puzzle before actually selecting an orb(this does not apply to PADW. Puzzle solving will be much more fast-paced).

**b. Monster Combat:** Upon completion of matching orbs, monsters will then unleash their attacks based upon their attack amount. There will be a timer over enemies. When the timer counts down to 0 it will be their turn to retaliate (again, combat will not be turn-based in PADW). Each monster has a health number associated with it. Monsters combine their health into one large health bar. So if one monster gets hit, the entire team loses health.

**c. Leader Skills:** Some monsters have skills that are only available when that monster is the leader of the team. Each team has a leader and then 4 sub monsters that fight alongside it. Choosing leader skills that compliment other team members is essential for successful dungeon completion.

**d. Active Skills:** Monsters also have skills that activate after a certain number of turns have passed. These skills can deal massive damage to enemies, transform orbs, and more.

**Content 2:**

**1. ****World Objective: **What exactly is the objective of PADW? The truth is, at this point, nobody really knows what the true goal is of this world. Players will conquer dungeons, forge alliances, explore, collect weapons, engage in player to player combat, and even more. But to what end? You are now the denizens of this world and your actions will ultimately decide the future of this world. We look forward to seeing how you grow and how you all effect each other as the world shapes.

**2. ****Gameplay:**

**a. Player Combat:** Players will now no longer just be bystanders simply solving puzzles and watching their monsters fight. Players will now be able to engage directly into combat with other monsters and players. Players are now a member of the team. Each Player is given his/her own health bar. The objective now is to keep the player's health from reaching 0.

**b. Player Defense:** Players will still be solving the traditional puzzles as seen from the original PAD to increase the power of his/her monsters. Players are invulnerable whilst solving puzzles to bolster their monsters' fighting power. A Player can choose to disengage from puzzle solving and enter the fight at any time; however, re-engaging into puzzle mode takes extra time for a barrier to reinstate itself. Be careful when engaging and disengaging. A barrier is permanently eliminated from the current battle if all of the Player's monsters reach 0 health.

**c. New Puzzle Solving:** Puzzle solving becomes more advanced in PADW. Players will not have nearly as much time to assess a board to find the best possible solutions to the puzzle for each combat situation. Instead, each board appears, and Players will want to solve these puzzles as quickly and effectively as possible. Upon solving one puzzle, and allowing orbs to drop, the board will go into locked mode for a certain amount of time. The board will unlock after a certain amount of time and the Player can once again solve the board. The faster and more efficiently the Player solves puzzles, the faster and stronger a Player's monsters become.

**d. Monster Updated Combat:** Monster combat is no longer turn-based. Combat is all about skill, tactics, and power. There is no defense phase, attack phase, etc. It is all-out combat. Techniques can be used at any time and active skills recharge over time, by dealing critical strikes, or other hidden factors depending on the skill. Your monster has its own free will when fighting. How will you make your monster stronger in this regard? It is up to you to find out how to proceed.

**e. Advanced Combat Strategies:** Make sure to switch out of puzzle mode and combat mode efficiently. Learn how long it takes for a board to be released from lockdown and plan accordingly for a quick defense with your monsters to switch modes.

Monsters can be put into brief hibernation when they take too many hits, forcing them into an invulnerable withdrawal state. Despite being invulnerable for the time, that monster is out of combat depending upon the damage sustained. The monsters' shared HP continues to decrease. It is a highly undesirable situation and leaves you at a huge numbers disadvantage.

There are no health items that can be used in combat! Some items can heal outside of combat, but Players will find no rejuvenation in a fight, save for heal orbs (Note: Heal orbs do NOT heal Players, ONLY monsters).

Be aware of enemy monster attributes. Just like in the original PAD, some monsters are weak to some attributes (i.e. Fire deals increased damage to wood).

You don't have to enter a dungeon with a full team! Also, your monsters are free to roam the world as they please until you call for them!

**3. ****Player Stats:**

**a. Growth Stats List w/ Explanation**

-This is an explanation of the stats a Player has in this game. This is only an explanation. It is up to the Player to use them to the fullest and discover more about them.

-Agility: Your speed and swift stance movement.

-Strength: The power behind your attacks and how much you can lift.

-Perception: How well you see the things around you. A heightened sense for danger.

-Focus: ?

-Will: ?

**b. Imbued Skills:** All Players, upon completion of the _PADW Player/Developer Consent Form _were subject to a physical and endurance exam. Players also underwent body recognition intrinsic scans. After undergoing multiple tests, a Player's physical capabilities in the real world were deduced and applied to the Player upon entrance to PADW. It is recommended that Players discover their own inlaid talents in order to become even more successful in the world of PADW.

**c. Increasing Stats:** Players will not be informed on how to increase their stats.

**d. Health: **There will be two health bars total while in combat. The Player health bar (which cannot be lowered while a player is in puzzle mode due to barrier), and the monster health bar. The monster health bar is the accumulation of all monster health bars. Each time a monster gets hit in combat, the bar lowers. It is shared. Once the monster health bar reaches zero a Player's barrier is permanently removed from the battle. A Player may continue to solve puzzles, but it can be extremely dangerous. Even when the monster health bar is zero, monsters can continue fighting until being damaged enough to go into hibernation mode. The Player has fallen when he/she reaches 0 on the health bar and the battle comes to an end.

**4. ****Status Ailments**

**a. List of Ailments w/ Explanations:**

-Poison: Target loses health over time. Some poison damage increases more with each hit.

-Paralysis: Target cannot move for a certain amount of time (rare).

-Bind v2: Target cannot use any leader or active skills for a certain amount of time.

-Jammer: Some orbs on the board are turned into malicious orbs that take up space and can prevent combinations.

-Blind: Target is blinded for a certain amount of time. Orbs are shrouded in fog and cannot be seen until hovered over.

-Silence: Target cannot use attribute powers.

-Bleed: A target will suffer damage over time if he/she has received a critical wound and can potentially bleed out. (rare)

**b. Removing Status Ailments:** Status Ailments usually wear off after a certain amount of time. Items are available in towns or other areas to remove ailments. Check each item's description before purchasing it and check to be sure the vendor is reputable. Other items can be created or discovered.

**c. In-depth, Bleed Damage:** Bleed damage is a rare ailment that occurs when a target has suffered a major wound. The target will sometimes bleed a large amount until it reaches a permanent withdrawal state or reaches death. The time that bleed damage lasts and how much damage it deals varies depending upon the severity of the wound. Bleed damage can be healed with a monster's active skill or leader skill, but takes a considerable amount of time.

**5. ****PvP (Player vs. Player)** -_Note: PvP is unavailable until both combatants reach full team status_

**a. Engagement: **Engagement begins when any Player initiates an attack on another Player. An attack can be initiated at any time outside of the designated safe zones. Safe zones will be clearly listed on a Player's mini-map upon discovery. Players can lay ambushes and launch surprise attacks to gain a preemptive strike. Upon engagement, both Players will enter puzzle mode. What each Player chooses to do from then on is completely up to him/her. "Unbalanced matches" cannot be initiated, meaning only one Player may battle another Player. Two Players may not enter combat against one other Player. If such a situation occurs, the first enemy of the two to initiate combat will enter the battle while the other is forcibly removed. The sizes of battle areas are determined by the team strength and terrain.

**b. Engagement Results:** Upon completion of the match, the winner will receive bonus experience for a successful victory, and health will be fully recharged and all status ailments removed that may have been sustained during the battle. The defeated party of the battle will LOSE experience and can be deleveled (meaning if the defeated was at lvl. 53, he/she may move down to lvl. 52). Experience gain and loss is determined by Player total experience difference. For example, if both parties are at similar level, then the losing side and winning side will lose and gain about 25% of the necessary experience to lose or reach the next level respectively. If a much lower level Player were to defeat a much higher level Player, the weaker Player would gain a massive amount of experience while the loser at higher level would lose a great amount of total experience. Taking the same case, if a much stronger Player were to defeat a weaker Player, the winner would gain very little experience and the loser would decrease in experience by a slightly larger amount, but still at a much lower rate than if he/she were to defeat the stronger Player in comparison. This system is to decrease the number of PKs (Player Killers) in the game by providing less incentive to attack Players. PvP combat is inevitable, but the main point is to explore the world and conquer dungeons. Also, the defeated Player in a PvP battle will be sent to the last Town Fountain he/she resided at before the battle.

**6.** **Level Up**

**a. Gaining Experience:** There are a number of ways to gain experience to reach higher levels. A Player can gain experience by: Completing dungeons, emerging victorious from a PvP battle, completing quests, entering the Gods Descended Arena (find out more by accessing your PADPD which will be discussed later in this guide or by visiting the designated location), and by taking a gamble at Pandora's Lost Box (location currently unknown).

**b. Evolution:** There is no traditional evolution in PADW like in PAD. All non-Gods in the game encounter level caps where they can then go into an evolution with the proper materials. All God monsters in this world that can be controlled by Players are at Final and Ultimate Form status. "Fulfillment: Completion" is available to only the greatest of monsters later on in the world.

**7. ****Monsters:**

**a. New Monsters:** New monsters have been added to PADW that are not available in PAD. New monsters will not be revealed and must be discovered by Players.

**b. Monster Weapons: **Monsters can have a variety of weapons as long as the weapons belong to the same class. Weapons are of all types and attributes and are only limited by the monster's attribute and class. For instance: A fire attribute monster cannot use a water attribute weapon. A monster that specializes in swords cannot use a longbow.

**c. Weapon Upgrades:** Weapons for Players and for monsters can be upgraded physically by visiting a blacksmith in a town or by enhancing the weapon in another way that may be discovered later on the journey. Weapons can also be internally enhanced using Dragon Stones or Force Orbs. Each enhance material needs to be analyzed to discern its effects on certain weapons. Certain characters in the game can analyze enhance materials for you at a price and some Players may learn abilities to analyze it themselves.

**d. Fullfillment- Completion Form:** A monster's final and perfect form. It is unknown as to how a monster reaches the pinnacle of its abilities.

**8. ****Player Inventory:**

**a. Starting Weapons:** Each Player will have the opportunity, before officially entering the world, to choose three types of weapons/armor. Each of these weapons is at four star level. Weapons found later on can range from three stars to nine stars.

**b. Items:** There are a large number of items to find and create in this world. Items can heal, remove status ailments, reveal other hidden items, aid in exploring certain areas, and much more. It is up to the Player to find these items and record their uses and ingredients upon discovery.

**c. Collecting: **A Player will start out only being able to hold a certain number of items. Each Player begins with a certain number of item slots. Inventory can be accessed outside and during combat using the PADPD. Players will also be able to store items at their dwellings.

**9. ****Dungeon Types:**

**a. Normal Dungeons: **Normal dungeons are the first dungeons Players will encounter in this world. They are suitable for Players with teams ranging 1-5 monsters. Completing normal dungeons will unlock other more advanced dungeons. Normal dungeons also reveal many of the secrets of PADW.

**b. Technical Dungeons:** Technical dungeons are slightly more advanced than normal dungeons in comparison. These dungeons have certain requirements that need to be met in order for them to be accessible. The entrance to each technical dungeon will have detailed instructions that state the qualifications that Players must meet.

**c. Special Dungeons:** These dungeons are where most Players will be able to harvest the majority of their materials for creating items, weapons, and other upgrades. There are many different challenging dungeons to be found that are scattered throughout the world that are in this category of dungeon. However, these dungeons are not clearly indicated on the minimap and must be discovered by completing other dungeons and /or finding them through exploration.

**d. Party Dungeons: **This form of dungeon can hold more than one Player. 2-4 Players can work together to complete these dungeons as one unit. Each Player may only bring one monster to join in the exploration of the dungeon. Each monster's health bar is independent from other monsters and Player health bars are also independent of other Players. If a Player falls in the dungeon, the other members of the team can continue to forge on. Collective experience will be amended accordingly upon the death of a Player. Experience in these dungeons is shared equally amongst the Players. Items that drop are given to the Player who dealt the most damage to the monster that dropped the item.

Note- PvP is disabled while in party dungeons.

**10.** **Magic Stones:**

**a. Uses:** Magic stones have a number of uses. Magic stones can-

I. Increase a Player's storage while adventuring

II. Be used to hit the rare egg machine that appears for special events (costs 5 stones)

III. Revive a Player to full health as he/she begins to reach death in a dungeon

IV. Open certain "sacred" special dungeons

V. Open Pandora's Lost Box

VI. ?

**11.** **Gold/Market:**

**a. Gold Uses: **Gold can be used to-

I. Buy items in the marketplace

II. Pay blacksmiths for weapon enhancement and other upgrades

III. Bribe NPCs and other characters

IV. Other Discoverable Uses

**b. Marketplace:** Players can purchase items in the marketplace using gold, barter, and sell items to other Players

**12.** **Guilds:**

**a. A Word on Guilds:** Guilds can be established as long as 5 Players are registered for a guild. A leader is selected, and that leader may form the guild in any way he/she pleases. Players can have a ranking system within the guild and can manage which Players may enter the guild. Players can also send a written request to join a guild. The possibilities for guilds are practically endless. It is up to the Players to organize the guild so that it is effective. The only time the mechanics in the game will interfere is if a guild member attempts to attack another guild member. Attacks on other guild members will not be tolerated. Crimes against the guild as a member will also not be acceptable. Punishment for attacking another Player will be the corruption of three of the guilty Player's magic stones. If a Player chooses to leave a guild, he/she's resignation will pend for 24 hours of in-game time and the Player will not be officially removed until the 24 hour limit is up. All Players in the guild will be notified when the Player has submitted the resignation letter. Guilds are great ways to form alliances in the game and to develop an information network. Be sure to expand your guild's influence by establishing guild branches in different territories.

**13.** **World Travel: **Players will encounter Town Fountains upon reaching cities and towns. Players can use Warp Stones to travel quickly to Town Fountains. Players will also encounter The Fertility Goddess, Freyja's Arbor Fountains in certain areas that can also be warped to. Warp stones can be bought in the marketplace, acquired in a trade, or dropped by monsters in dungeons. It is a good idea to always have at least one on hand at all times.

Note- Warp stones cannot be used in dungeons, during PvP combat, or other areas where hostiles are nearby.

Note- As an added bonus, Arbor Fountains provide full rejuvenation by recovering health over time and curing status ailments when Players and monsters bathe in the fountain. Arbor fountains are also designated "safe zones."

_**!: PADPD!:**_ Puzzle and Dragons _World_ is pleased to introduce the Puzzle and Dragons Personal Database. This device will allow Players to: access inventory, store personal journals, view monster information based off of monsters encountered, inspect the minimap to view places visited, and so much more. Refer to the separate guide installed on the PADPD to learn more.

**IMPORTANT: **Be sure to set your shape password and home lock password so other Players cannot access your PADPD. It is also recommended that you have a PIN number ready as well and voice command enabled so you can access the device quickly and efficiently during combat. Be sure to also have your keypad settings set to the correct position for easier access.

**DO NOT** share your username or password with anyone. Gungho, PADW partners, and affiliates will never ask you for this information.

Be sure to check your PADPD frequently for news and/or updates.

**A Final Word:** _This concludes the Player guide for PADW. We sincerely thank you for accepting our invitation to join the world of PADW. We look forward to viewing your exploits and how you change this new amazing world. Welcome to a new reality. Welcome to PADW._


	2. Prologue

"_I am Lo. I am the overseer of this world as it comes to fruition. I am the caretaker upon its birth. I am the authority over its inhabitants. My laws are absolute and bound with consequence. I am the kiss of the wind and the lapping melody of the waves on the golden shores. I am the grass that tickles their feet and the moons that illuminate the darkness. I am the radiant sun; with eyes gazing intently upon every meadow, forest, mountain, and ocean. I am comprised of all these things in this beautiful, magnificent world.  
>So why should I bow to you?" -Lo (Lady Overlook)<br>_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Prologue<strong>

**The Real World**

**Location: Unknown**

**Date: Unknown**

**Time: Unknown**

_**File #001**_

_**Letter sent by CEO Shinji Takamura**_

_**Recipients Unknown**_

_**Segment from letter concerning the virtual world Puzzle and Dragons "World" **_

_...It is a code that is of our world. It is not born or created from one of our technological achievements. It is a code that our technology is able to collect and interpret. It is the code that comprises the world itself. And our technology has the ability to mimic it. This is a mistake. We have created a brand new world much like ours with a similar code that allows the world to function independently from outside sources. I believe that whoever is after me is aware of this as well._

_ Furthermore, the denizens of this world now have free will. _

_ I am telling you, they feel. They actually feel. They feel hatred, love, happiness, and sadness just like us. They are far too real. I would even argue that they are just as real as any of us. _

_ The monsters from the original Puzzle and Dragons...I chose them because of the love that so many people have for them. I chose them so that I could bring them to life. They were just images with names and nothing else. I was so blinded by my ambitions that I did not foresee the consequences that would result from using a code derived from our own world. _

_I have conversed with many of them and inquired about their daily lives. I have observed them and they do not act upon the influence of programs. They have absolute free will. _

_ They are also absorbed in a conflict that threatens to erupt into war. And now we may be dragged into this war. _

_ And whoever is watching me, whatever organization is searching for me, the reasons cannot be good. There is malicious intent, and I cannot allow anyone to find the universal code. The power to create worlds in a human's grasp...I would prefer not to think of the consequences._

_I cannot go to the authorities, the government, nobody. The corporations of the world have become too powerful. Governments are merely puppets with restrained or even non-existent power at this point. _

_ Here is where I ask for your help my dear friend. For the sake of our humanity and our existence, I implore you. I know everything I have written so far seems absolutely insane, but it is all true. I have never lied to you._

_The code being used now in the virtual world is useless to those who pursue me. It is constantly evolving as the virtual world continues to function._

_The original universal code is now in safe hands for the time being. I wanted to simply delete it, erase it from the world altogether, but I had no idea what effect this might have on our own world. _

_ There are monsters in the other world that you can trust. Their names and profiles are at the secret place. You know where that is. You must remember._

_ I am truly sorry. I am sorry that I surrendered to the temptations that man is so susceptible to. And I am so sorry for involving you and anyone else who is potentially in danger for my mistakes. And please extend my deepest apologies to the monsters of the other world if that ever becomes at all possible._

_ Thank you so much my dearest friend for everything you have done for me up until now. Thank you. Thank you so much. Godspeed my friend. _

_**End of file**_

A man sat in the darkness. The only light in the room was from the small lamp on his desk that illuminated the copy of the letter from the man known as Shinji Takamura.

This was the third time he had read the letter. Much of it seemed to be absolute nonsense; the ramblings of a man who had become too engrossed in a world that was not his own. Obsession had a way of playing with the mind.

But the fact that the code was currently out of reach was disconcerting.

After a long pause he pulled open the filing cabinet next to his desk and returned the letter to its proper folder.

He laced his fingers together on the desk and heaved a heavy sigh of exasperation. "Even in death, you still get in my way Takamura."

* * *

><p><strong>Pirugan Continent: Caramoc Cove<strong>  
><strong>May 23, 2020<strong>  
><strong>1:37 AM<strong>  
><strong>2 Days before launch of PADW<strong>

Pandora knelt before the large chest that lay open before her. Its encroaching chains whipped violently through the air like crazed serpents snapping at prey. However, their restless movements were not without purpose. A dark fog creeped over the sides of the chest and settled around Pandora's legs as she spoke inaudible words. Her hands traced the intricate designs along its base, all the way up to the edge of its gaping maw containing an infinite abyss.

Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead as her unheard incantation began to take effect on the once dormant powers that rested within the chest. The dark fog that had begun to spread throughout the cove now retracted slowly as the abyss proceeded to draw back its intangible form.

A sudden quake of the earth momentarily interrupted her in the midst of the incantation. She clasped her hands and allowed the fog to roll over her as it returned to its resting place. Her disheveled, yet luminous, green hair blew wildly as the rumbling drew closer. The chains grew even more frantic and began batting each other side to side as though they sensed her growing desperation.

She took a moment to cut off the incantation so she could focus on the direction of her approaching adversary. Even though she was fairly certain of who it was, it helped to be able to discern the distance of the quakes so she could at least give herself a moment of relief.

The relief was not forthcoming.

_He is here._

She finished her work and sealed the chest shut as soon as the last of the darkness had receded. Next to the chest she grabbed a small backpack and dumped the contents in front of her. Small gemstones, about the size of the palm of one's hand, clattered to the ground and shimmered in the moonlight. The magic stones were used for nearly everything in this world, and she had been saving them for just this occasion. One by one she inserted the stones in the three slots that were engraved in the front of the chest. The stones melded into the ironwork and disappeared from sight as she inserted them.

The rumbling drew closer and Pandora hastened to get the last dozen or so stones placed. She had already imbedded a large amount, but with the Players arriving she didn't know how long only a few stones would last. She had to be certain, even if it meant wasting stones that could have been used elsewhere. There was no room for error at this point.

She heaved a sigh of relief as the last stone vanished. After a few moments of inactivity passed, the chains, which were now forming spirals around her, stiffened in place and coiled themselves around the chest and each other. They visibly tightened and the chest was sealed.

Pandora rose and stared at the now-silent box. The quakes were stronger now, and it was readily apparent that she wouldn't be making the swift escape that she had originally planned. She turned to the mouth of the cave she had recently emerged from and in moments a massive form appeared. Even in the darkness Pandora's ruby eyes could still see the black masses that charged forward by the behemoth's feet.

Pandora stood straight with her head raised defiantly as the giant halted a few yards away. She now noticed that the creatures at its feet were knights clad in black armor, brandishing finely crafted broadswords and pearlescent shields.

The large figure leaned forward and his six arms were now visible. His form had been shrouded by massive wings that blocked out a considerable portion of the sky when fully extended outwards. A black staff with lines of gold was held in one of its six hands and another held a massive broadsword of obviously superior craftsmanship. Four horns protruded from its forehead. Two more, one on each side of its head where the ears should have been, thrust straight outwards like sharp daggers. The shape of a helmet was laid around the horns and a red mask covered the mouth.

The monstrosity stepped forward slowly and knelt down on one knee. It rested an arm on its bent leg in a carefree manner. A hint of a grin was discernible from beneath the mask.

The behemoth spoke in a deep, powerful voice, "Mistress of the Bleak Night, Pandora, you have been quite a thorn in my side these past few days."

Pandora managed to still her shaking hands and allowed herself a smirk. "Oh Satan, you know how I just love to play hard to get." With those words she felt her fear slipping away, replaced by a mix of determination and frustration.

The one known as Satan visibly frowned at her lack of fear. "I don't intend to play word games with you." He extended his hand. "Give me the box and I guarantee you and the others will at least survive until the Players have had their entry."

Pandora pretended to consider his offer for a moment and placed a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Ohhhhhh, so very very tempting. Why is it that you dark, evil guys always attempt to entice your victims with mercy, when clearly we can dismiss such a notion before you even utter it? It's tiresome, but it does buy me some time without me having to put forth any effort." she grinned evilly.

Satan's eyes narrowed. "What do you me-" he was cut off as a heavy blow drove into the side of his head. It was a well-placed attack that successfully connected just outside of Satan's peripheral vision. The curved blade of the striking weapon cut across his vision as it scraped alongside his helmet. The wielder of the weapon twisted her wrist and drove the flat of the blade straight into Satan's face, sending him reeling backwards. The knights at his feet scattered desperately to avoid being crushed by his massive body. He landed in a brief daze, but managed to quickly reorient himself just as a swift kick landed cleanly on his other blind side and sent him careening into the cliff overlooking the cove. He let out a forced gasp that mixed with the faint taste of blood.

Satan rose slowly and uttered a stream of curses as his assailant landed gracefully a few feet in front of the still-grinning Pandora.

Pandora's comrade stood straight and brandished her weapon, a halberd with a blade resembling a double edged axe. A curved blade akin to a scimitar thrust dangerously out of the midst of the axe, making it a truly versatile weapon. Its length was nearly double her size. As she readjusted her grip, a pair of armored, rainbow wings extended fully on her back. The female warrior threw her ponytail over her shoulder and allowed it to hang its full length to her waste.

She parted her hair that hung over one eye and sized up her opponent as he took an offensive stance, her expression remaining neutral despite the powerful aura that exuded from her foe.

"It's good to see you Leilan," Pandora greeted her casually, "Though you are just a tad bit late."

Leilan addressed her calmly as she checked her red and gold Chinese dress for tears, "Metatron had some last minute adjustments that needed seeing to."

Pandora shrugged. "I guess she is known for taking her sweet time."

Leilan was only half-listening at this point. Satan had once again risen to his full height and glared hatefully at the duo. Large azure, translucent rings began to form at his hands with strange, archaic symbols etched into them. Blue sparks began to shower around him and the surge of energy lifted his spirits.

"What lousy timing. Chinese gods are always so irritating." He drew his arms back with the rings whirring loudly. "Time to tear your wings off little fire bird," he growled.

Leilan steadied herself. "Here we go," she breathed.

Just as Satan was about to release the deadly rings he became distracted by a strange, white light in the sky. A low hum emitted from the light and echoed throughout the cove as it pulsated like a beating heart. It moved slowly across the sky in a straight line with a clear purpose. Even Leilan and Pandora could not help gazing at its brilliance. The light took the form of a sphere and settled its image over one of the moons. It halted and its form began to visibly glow with specs of yellow light consuming the moon's massive body.

Satan shook himself from his reverie and glared at the two females. "It seems we are running out of time," he muttered.

Leilan turned to Pandora who nodded her assent. "The Players are almost here."


	3. Chapter 1- Ray

_**A/N: I will obviously be describing the appearances of the monsters in this fanfiction, but for those of you who wish to see images of the monsters, you may find them at the Puzzle and Dragons database. Some monsters will be made-up in this fanfiction and, therefore, not available on the database. **_

_**Simply type the name of the monster into the search to view their image.**_

_**I sincerely hope you enjoy this new world of Puzzle and Dragons. **_

_**Note: Monster stats and information in the database do not necessarily reflect some presented in this fanfiction.**_

* * *

><p>"<em>This world, implementing the finest in virtual technology, shall be the guise necessary to perform the task of creating the perfect soldier." -Thomas Malkin<em>

**Chapter 1: Ray**

**Seattle, Washington**

**United States**

**May 23, 2020**

**7:22 PM**

**2 Days before launch of PADW**

The woman behind the desk opened a binded manilla folder and carefully removed its contents as if they would break just by the gentle brush of her fingertips. She laid out the papers and sifted through them one by one, scanning each one intently and typing notes on her laptop. It had been a long day, and it was rising in temperature due to all the individuals that were packed together, despite the size of the massive assembly room. Nevertheless, she had become particularly interested in the file that she had just received from this young man.

_File #623: Subject Summary of Completion and Test Recording_

_Please submit this form to your supervisor upon completion._

_Subject: Ray Andylon_

_Gender: Male_

_Blood Type: O_

_Height: 5' 10"_

_Weight: 175 pounds_

_Eyes: Blue_

_Hair: Brown_

_Note: Eye correction required [Right -2.5 - Left -3.25]_

_Physical and Endurance Exam Results:_

_Cardio: S _

_ Notes: Subject's ability to run at moderate speed level consistently with slightly limited contraction of bronchial tubing has been noted. Subject has history of asthma and medication with albuterol inhaler has been discontinued for past three years. Excessive, deep air intake may prove problematic but negligible with results from intrinsic scans upon transfer. Subject form suggests professional training which was confirmed at the high school level and has been continued to the present. Attached is the subject's high school and college athletic history._

_Strength: A_

_ Notes: Subject is competent at lifting heavy objects and moving between stations with time constraints. Endurance is not an issue. Subject has knowledge of differing exercises and is aware of proper muscle groups for each exercise and operates them accordingly. _

_Reflexes: S_

_ Notes: Subject displays excellent performance when presented with constantly changing situations and maintaining focus. Exercises 1-7 were performed flawlessly with exercises 8-11 receiving only one flaw each. Subject stance was analyzed and upon inquiry subject mentioned participating on his high school's wrestling team. Along with athletic history, a form is attached with information with specific athletic stats past and current._

The woman glanced up from the form for a moment. A young man in his early twenties stood before her with a passive expression on his face. His hands were clasped behind him as if he were standing at attention. His brown hair was slightly disheveled and he wore a black polo fully buttoned. The woman noted his muscle build as well. It was lean, meaning he didn't have that massive gym muscle, but he was built for the endurance described in the report.

She was supposed to take note of these characteristics. She had been doing it for so long that she did it with everyone she met for the first time, and even with people she already knew to assess their transformations. It had become a useful habit.

As she was about to speak, a man approached her from behind and tapped her shoulder insistently. His suit was visibly darkened from all the perspiration that wetted his brow and under his arms. His labored breathing showed he had been in a hurry. He motioned to her and she leaned towards him. Apparently it was something he didn't want anyone else hearing and was being cautious, given the fact the room was reaching a noise level nearly above tolerance. She glanced at Ray for a moment who still remained motionless; however, his eyes were slightly roaming the room. No, perhaps it was more along the lines of analyzing.

She nodded to the man and he made a hasty exit. The woman's eyes followed him until he approached another man, this one wearing some sort of black security uniform, and began speaking frantically to him about something inaudible. The man in the security suit beckoned for him to follow and they exited the room from an unseen side door.

The woman sat back in her chair for a moment and began to fuss with her ponytail. She knew it was a distracting and unbecoming habit, but she was convinced it helped her thought process. The exchange between the two men and the information she had just received was slightly troubling. In any case, Ray didn't seem to be distracted by it in the least when she made her first statement.

"As your supervisor for this testing process, I am required to provide you with information that will encourage any inquiries on your part," she said. She felt like a broken record, and she knew she certainly sounded like one. Her words came out fluidly, but they almost felt robotic in a way. It was annoying to just hear her own voice sometimes with this job.

Ray nodded. "Okay," he answered simply.

"Since this is our first official meeting face-to-face, allow me to introduce myself, I am Emily Connors. I will be your supervisor up until you are sent into the virtual world. My job is to go over these files and collaborate with your test instructors to ensure that you are given the proper coding that represents your true ability here in the real world. It will be applied to your person upon entering the virtual world and it will build upon the levels and stats you gain. Do you have any questions so far? I know it's a pretty wild concept to grasp."

Ray didn't take much time to ask his question, even though the question was actually more of a confirmation, "So basically, my ability in the real world has been gauged and it will be applied to me in the virtual world. That is basically my starting area and the stats and levels will improve upon it from there. Do I have the gist of it?"

Emily smiled. "Yeah you pretty much got it. The only other thing you're missing is that you can improve yourself even without gaining levels, just like you can in the real world," she left a notable emphasis on the word 'real.'

"It seems a little unfair if some people are more athletic or stronger than others in the real world," Ray commented.

Emily nodded, "In hindsight it does absolutely seem that way. However, when you all enter this world, you will find that people have capabilities that will make you all equals. It depends upon how you all use your talents that will bring the desired outcome. The intrinsic scans are also in place to determine what your possible true potential is that you have not yet reached . I assure you that nobody ever reaches their full potential. We hope to bring that out in the virtual world."

Emily stopped herself for a moment; she surprised herself by how much information she was relaying to this boy. Normally with her candidates she went through just the typical, boring procedure: read the file, answer the questions promptly, and then send them on their way. However, at this point, she found herself babbling.

She immediately dismissed the notion and returned her attention to Ray.

"Do you have anymore questions?" she asked.

Ray considered it for a moment. "Only one. Is there someone I can speak to more in-depth about the world and the database we will be given?"

Emily cocked an eyebrow at this peculiar question. "Yes, there will be a final assembly held the day before you are sent in. You will have some guest speakers who will explain how everything works. If you don't get some answers you are hoping for, I am sure they will be holding some separate meetings afterward to make themselves available."

She went back to the form she had been reading and scanned through some of the unimportant details: the background checks, possible criminal history, highest level of education, they could all wait until a later date. After a quick skim, she reached a report that completely seized her attention. At first, the letters didn't quite register in her brain. It was like a calculator that had been given a formula that defied all the laws of equation it had been taught. She felt her mouth drop slightly as she read his intrinsic scan report. It didn't seem possible.

She slowly looked back up at Ray. "You didn't look through this folder right?"

Ray tilted his head in confusion. "No. They told us not to. Besides, judging by the way it was sealed, the tears would have been obvious if I had browsed through it."

Emily nodded and composed herself. "Of course. Sorry, I wasn't thinking. It's been a pretty long day."

She rubbed her eyes and glanced back at the form before placing it back in the folder,

_Intrinsic Scan Analysis Report:_

_Subject displays tremendous physical and mental capabilities. Physical capabilities include heightened reflexes and situational strength/endurance limiter removals. Situational testing displayed a 97% success rate for limiter removal in dangerous and time-crucial situations (situations and conflict varying upon mental state and source of conflict). _

_Mental capabilities were impressive with resolving highly difficult problems and amending provided instructions with opportunities to ascertain flaws and/or enact improvements. Readings indicate unidentified potentials at rates ranging from 87%-99%._

_Subject Final Intrinsic Scan Analysis Score: SSS_

Emily closed and sealed the folder with a special lock she withdrew from a small metal box on her desk. She stared at the folder for a few more brief seconds. It was as if she was seeing through the folder and still reading Ray's files. _SSS._

She felt a thought tugging at her somewhere in her brain, but she couldn't quite grasp it. It was like someone was dangling the answer at the end of a fishing line being constantly pulled out of her reach. At that moment, she reflexively drew a pen from her pocket, pulled out a stack of notes, and wrote a short memo to herself, _More research: Ray Andylon, ID 623._ She ripped the sticky note off the pile and stuck it in her pocket before extending her hand across the table to Ray.

"You are dismissed. I will see you right after the final assembly for a few last-minute instructions. I wish you luck."

Ray grasped her hand in a firm grip and they shook with one quick motion. "Thank you."

Ray grabbed his backpack off the floor, gave Emily a curt nod, and proceeded to head to the cafeteria for dinner. Emily watched after him until he disappeared behind the glass double doors at the end of the assembly hall. She stared down at her hand. A person's handshake could tell a lot.

* * *

><p>Ray strode down the crowded hallway and pulled out his cellphone. Apparently, he had missed seven calls; one under the name Keiichi, and the other six under the name Lucy. Typical Lucy. Ray couldn't help allowing himself a grin when he also opened his text message inbox to find ten more texts from her and two from Keiichi. He figured he would be seeing them soon anyway, so he saw no real reason to answer them back.<p>

The hallway merged with a sky bridge completely encompassed by glass with a view of the city below. Seattle was bustling with massive crowds of people heading home after a long day of work. The traffic was as horrendous as ever, with cars knit tightly together and evidence of an accident a few blocks up the road. Ray didn't much like the city, and it was due to the fact that wherever you walked you were bound to bump into twenty or so people before you even made it a few yards. He wasn't really much on crowds, and even the narrow bridge made him feel slightly uncomfortable as he hugged the railing that lined the glass.

He noted the large digital screen that overlooked this section of the city. On the screen, a female wielding a lengthy halberd was in combat with another female clad in thick armor, who deflected her opponent's attack with a finely crafted lance. The curved blades attached to the sides of the lance allowed the halberd to drag alongside it and forced the other female's momentum to carry forward. Just as the armored female was about to deal a critical side swipe, her lance was halted by a male with a lance of his own, this one a lime green and exuding some form of pestilence. The man in green readjusted his hat and gave the other lance wielder a wry grin. The armored female leaped back and took a defensive stance. Just as the duo was about to charge her to take advantage of the one-sided battle, a steel arrow cut across their vision and exploded into a nearby boulder, completely decimating it and showering the two surprised warriors in sparks and debris. The two warriors turned to their new adversary who stood upon a giant lizard covered in, what appeared to be, sapphire scales that shined in the dying light. The young male upon its steed gripped the hair on the lizard's back to steady himself as it charged forward. The armored female moved in unison and as each team was about to clash, a sudden bolt of pale lightning struck between them, sending up stone and dirt that reached for the sky. Both teams gazed at each other curiously and soon became distracted by a great darkness that began to pollute the sky. A pair of blood, red eyes emerged from this blackness, accompanied by a face with a crimson mask covering its mouth. The monster carried a broadsword filled with a dangerous corruption that the other warriors could not possibly fathom. As the new enemy descended upon them, they brandished their weapons dramatically. At the last moment before each side met, the screen went dark, and glowing, fiery letters appeared from all sides of the screen and merged together to form the words _Puzzle and Dragons World._

Ray stared at the screen a little longer, having been mesmerized by the display. That was the world he would soon be a part of and he couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. It was just so exciting that he would be able to experience a whole new world firsthand.

He had been growing tired of the world he lived in for so long. It was as if some deity up above had answered his prayers and was giving him a second life that he could only have dreamed of up until now. It was the chance of a lifetime for someone like him.

_I won't let any of this go to waste, _ he promised himself.

* * *

><p>The cafeteria was crowded, just the way he hated it. His fellow Players were already seated, and he could pick out their excited conversations concerning what they planned to do once they entered the virtual world. Some of them were showing off their ranks and monster boxes from the previous Puzzle and Dragons; the one for the android and ios released many years ago.<p>

_It's been nearly a decade,_ Ray reminisced.

He could discern a few key words from specific conversations. They were discussing dungeons they had conquered, teams that were most effective against certain gods, and, most importantly, who they intended to pick as their first monster upon entering the world.

Each Player would get the opportunity to list five monsters he/she wanted when first starting out, beginning with the first as the most desired and the last as least. Ray didn't quite know how it was decided who received what monster, but he assumed it had to do with how often the monster was used by the Player in the previous Puzzle and Dragons. He hoped rank didn't apply. The original Puzzle and Dragons was released in 2012 and he only started the game in early 2014 due to the fact he didn't own a cellphone that could run the game. So basically, he was way behind most of these Players as far as rank was concerned. Nobody had a prayer of catching up to Players who had a two-year head start. In the end though, it was just a number right?

At that moment he heard a familiar name uttered by one of the Players, "...Leilan..."

The name halted Ray in his tracks. It was a name Ray had discovered during his first few weeks of playing the original game. He recalled the emotions he felt as he took a pull on the machine that released a variety of eggs, all different colors, that could hold one of a list of nearly fifteen hundred monsters. This machine could give a Player the monsters he/she desired, but it could also give them essentially nothing. It had been his first pull on an event known as Godfest, where a Player had an increased chance of receiving some of the greatest monsters in the game: the gods.

He had sat there with a mix of anticipation and apprehension, wishing to any and all forces out in the universe that he would see that gold egg appear out of that silly, yellow dragon machine.

_Ray pulled down on the dragon's arm and the slot on the belly of the egg machine opened. Ray held his breath. A gold egg appeared and he pumped his fist into the air excitedly, but, almost immediately, drew his hand to his side and realized that even a gold egg could hold something that wasn't what he desired. Gods weren't the only ones that rested within these treasured capsules._

_Ray stared unblinking at the egg as it shook a few times. After a brief moment, it burst open with a bright light that consumed the screen of Ray's phone. As the light diminished, Ray saw a girl with a mix of dark orange and red hair wrapped into a long ponytail. Her Chinese dress was a deep red laced with gold, and her small rainbow wings were outstretched, prepared to take flight. She wielded a broadsword burning with an unquenchable fire that mimicked the flames that swirled around her in a controlled circle._

_Ray sat staring at the screen for a long while. Time had become meaningless. She had a wonderful smile on her face that exuded an air of confidence, but also hid a reserved kindness. He tapped the screen with a trembling finger and at the top left of the screen it read "God" with a red orb; a fire symbol sealed within it._

She would be the first of many gods that Ray received over his time playing the game but, in the end, it was Leilan who conquered the most dungeons and pushed him to the rank he was at today. He felt that, if not for her, he would have possibly been one of those people who quit the game out of sheer frustration due to not receiving a powerful enough monster from the machine to move forward at an acceptable pace.

He willed the memory away and grimaced. _Not a chance buddy._

Just as he was about to take a strained step forward he felt a slight nudge from behind. He could instinctively tell it was not hostile, so he glanced over his shoulder calmly and noted the person behind him. The young man was around his age with short black hair and a similar lean build. His brown eyes held a hidden intensity that was masked by his unmatched enthusiasm. He wore a winning smile as he gave Ray a quick wave.

Ray couldn't suppress a grin. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Keiichi," he said as if it wasn't much of a surprise.

The man named Keiichi slapped a hand on Ray's shoulder and they immediately embraced in a one-armed hug.

"Dammit man where have you been?" Keiichi asked unable to contain his excitement, "I messaged you a few times but didn't hear back from you."

Ray raised his hands apologetically. "Sorry, they held me there longer than I expected. Had some equipment problems."

Keiichi frowned at this. "Seriously? That's a shame. You missed out on the meet and greet. Not that it was anything all that special I guess." He shrugged. "Though I can tell that a bunch of them are going to be taking a dark path. More than I expected."

Ray gestured for Keiichi to follow him so they could grab some food. He didn't address the statement immediately, but he did take some time to process Keiichi's words. It was typical of games that had player vs. player combat to have some Player Killers, but he was hoping that the focus would be more on conquering dungeons and discovering the secrets of the world. The fact that a lot of other Players were considering killing other players already was unsettling.

Ray and Keiichi grabbed their meal from the buffet line and settled at a high-top table in the corner of the room where they could separate themselves from most of the cacophony. Ray could now get a clear view of the area and noted that there must have been at least a couple hundred people. Some were Players, while others appeared to be staff.

"So if we are going to have Player Killers we'll need to make sure we don't draw too much unwanted attention," Keiichi continued, "But you go for the whole rogue thing in these types of games anyway right?"

Ray nodded. "Usually, but I may have to try and join a guild so I can have a decent information network." Ray sighed. "Which may be a little problematic for someone like me..."

Keiichi nodded solemnly. They were both friends in the original game, so Keiichi was aware of Ray's rank. It wasn't high. Ray had started the game too late and he wasn't a Player who spent much money towards it like many others did, which pushed him even further behind in rank. Keiichi knew more about him than any of his other game friends did though.

Keiichi and Ray were a rarity and actually stayed in contact outside of the game and discussed things that went beyond gaming. It turned out they were both successful athletes, excelled in school, and were absolutely dense as hell when it came to women. They laughed about the latter constantly. Both of them had blown tons of chances with girls and, honestly, they didn't mind sharing these moments with each other despite the fact they were on opposite sides of the country from each other. Ray actually found it kind of scary how much they had in common: music taste, anime and tv shows, books, etc.

"I wouldn't worry about it," Keiichi said after what seemed like a considerable amount of time. "If some guilds reject you, then they don't know what they're missing out on. You've demonstrated some of your puzzle-solving skills with me, and they were damn impressive. Furthermore, our abilities in the real world will be applied. You might even have an advantage."

Ray nodded. He was thankful for Keiichi's support, but they both were aware it was still going to be rough nevertheless. Ray was confident that if he could have Leilan as a partner, he could hold out as long as he needed to.

"In any case-" Ray started. He was interrupted by a tray that slammed on the table right in front of his plate. The plate leaped off the table slightly but managed to hold the food in place. Ray and Keiichi both reared back instinctively in their chairs. Ray was more fortunate than Keiichi. He leaned forward just in time to right himself in his seat as Keiichi's chair settled too far back on its legs and sent him down hard to the floor. He lay there sprawled in a heap with his legs dangling above his head.

The two stared fearfully at the newcomer. Her head was lowered and her body trembled almost uncontrollably. When she looked up, Ray pushed himself towards the corner, cowering in fear while Keiichi covered his face with his shirt and assumed the fetal position. There was death in those eyes.

"Oh god she's here! She's friggin here!" Keiichi sobbed. His voice was nearly raised to a shout with his fake crying.

Ray threw his face in his hands dramatically. "Gods above I am so sorry. Whatever sin I have caused I will amend in any way I can. Your humble servant begs for mercy."

The two fear-stricken boys continued their stammering pleas as the girl eyed the two of them back and forth furiously. She finally rested her eyes intently on Ray, stepped on the metal rungs of his high chair, and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt violently.

Keiichi clapped his hands together in prayer, thanking some unknown deity for sparing him and sacrificing Ray so that he could continue to live a fruitful, fulfilling life.

Ray heard all of this and kept his eyes tightly shut as he bawled to Keiichi, "You damn coward! I'm going to haunt you when I die!"

He opened his eyes a sliver so he could see the expression on the girl's face. It was actually what he had expected. She looked more hurt than angry. Her eyes were a deep blue and practically sparkled in the light. Her brown hair settled just past her shoulders and, despite the fact that she was now towering over him, she was rather petite. The girl's face was barely an inch from Ray's and she gazed at him as if she were analyzing him.

Ray finally managed to find his voice. "H-hey Lucy."

At the sound of her name she shook Ray a few more times before embracing him in a devastating hug that should have been impossible for someone of her stature.

"Why didn't you answer my calls you jerk?" She rocked the chair back and forth and Ray felt his head collide with the wall a few times.

Ray strained to breathe. "I'm-sorry," he choked.

Keiichi now stood at his side and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Poor Ray. His life was a brief one."

Ray managed to get a couple more select words out, "Screw-you."

The girl named Lucy turned to Keiichi at the sound of his voice with a mixture of joy and hate in her eyes. It was an emotional combination that should have been impossible, and it terrified Keiichi. He raised his hands nervously in surrender, but the girl had already leaped away from Ray and seized Keiichi in a death hug just for him.

* * *

><p>Emily moved hastily through the assembly hall as soon as she finished saving her data on the laptop and filed away her physical documents. There were still large throngs of people blocking her route and she shoved many of them aside with obvious irritation. Many of them gave her disapproving and angry looks, but she really didn't pay them much mind.<p>

The hallway outside became surprisingly quiet as she entered the administrative wing, and she made good time to her office three floors above. A man sat at a long, marble desk, typing away furiously, his brow furrowed deeply to match his intensity. The door to the entry room closed silently behind Emily and she swiftly made her way past the front desk to her office. The man didn't seem to notice her.

Her office was a generous size with a window nearly dominating a side wall that overlooked the city. Two large bookshelves filled the adjacent wall where a mahogany desk sat before them with just enough room for her to swivel her chair back to sit. There was nothing decorative to the room, and one would think it rather plain. People typically didn't know her personality all that well though.

Emily withdrew her laptop and set it gently on the desk as it booted up. While she waited, she picked up the phone and dialed an extension. She was going to need someone outside of her branch to gather the rest of the information she wanted.

After a few tones passed, a tired voice answered, "Hello?" The man sounded like he had just woken up. He yawned loudly on the other end of the phone.

Emily dismissed this unprofessionalism. "Rick. It's Emily."

The man named Rick made a loud shuffling on the other end of the phone. It sounded like he was getting up off a leather couch.

"Well I guess if you're calling it must be something important," he said, attempting to mask his interest.

"I just received a SSS rank."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. The only indication that Rick was still there was his slow, even breath. Emily gave him a moment to let the news sink in. When it was apparent that no response was forthcoming, Emily broke the silence.

"Rick?"

"Who else knows about this?"

Emily rolled her eyes. "You, me, and the guys who administered the tests. What do you take me for?"

Rick sighed heavily. "I know. Just one of those questions that needs asking. Okay, I need you to send me his information immediately. I highly doubt this is a coincidence, and if my hunch is right, there will be more."

Emily opened a document on her computer and prepared to relay the information to Rick through a dropbox linked to his computer.

"What do we do about the testers?" she asked.

"There is nothing we can do about them. If we tell them to keep quiet about this, it will just arouse more suspicion. No, they will definitely be shooting their mouths off. Who wouldn't when they've just finished testing a SSS rank? We just need to hope it doesn't reach the wrong people too soon when it spreads."

Emily nodded even though Rick obviously couldn't see her assent.

"This will no longer be a secure line in a few days," Rick added, "I will meet you at the usual place to give you access to the new line."

Emily nodded again. "Okay."

There was another long silence before Rick spoke again. "Don't tell Kurosaki about this yet. I'm not sure we can trust him. Keep me posted."

"Okay, got it." Emily hung up the phone and sat there for a moment running the conversation through her head again. If what Rick said was true, then more SSS ranks were going to be entering the virtual world. The only problem with that was, whose side were they on?


	4. Chapter 2- Reversion

_**A/N: Those of you who are still with the story at this point, Hooray! I am so glad that you have decided to continue on this journey with me through the new world of Puzzle and Dragons. I know there is a bit of buildup, but I promise that it is all necessary and will contribute to the depth of the story later on. It will be a long, fulfilling journey filled with its share of joy, sadness, twists, and darkness. I extend my deepest thanks to all of you readers out there who have taken the time to review my previous chapters. Thanks a bunch!**_

* * *

><p>"<em>I constantly tell them not to look in the box, but they always do anyway. It's rather amusing." -Pandora<em>

**Chapter 2- Reversion**

**Pirugan Continent, Caramoc Cove**

**May 23, 2020**

**2:03 AM**

**2 Days before launch of PADW**

The swirling disc slashed dangerously past Leilan as she side-stepped expertly out of harm's way. The remaining five discs of lightning maneuvered strategically around her and seemed to float momentarily, as if they were waiting for her to make the first move. Leilan didn't need to win this battle though, she just needed to buy Pandora enough time to make her escape.

The moon was now completely consumed by the specks of yellow and blazed like a brilliant sun. Streams of silver laced around the circumference of the sphere of light and glided to the ground, seemingly inserting themselves into the land. The sphere began to pulsate much more evenly than before and rings of rainbow light shot outward and disappeared into the distance from all angles.

Leilan turned to Pandora. "Get going. There isn't enough time for you to stay here."

Pandora nodded her assent and retreated to the other end of the cove where a short tunnel promised an escape.

Leilan inspected the spinning rings. One of her eyes conjured a slight flame that burned a scorching blue and orange hue. The eye remained immune to the burn and her pupil narrowed.

"Initiating active skill _Flame Lure,_" Leilan muttered under her breath.

* * *

><p>Pandora briefly glanced over her shoulder and saw that the spinning rings had become impatient and launched themselves at Leilan in unison. Pandora hated being the one who had to turn tail, but she knew that the box needed to be kept safe at all costs.<p>

At the end of the tunnel, she was halted by a cliff that overlooked the expanse of the glowing ocean. She stared down and could see the gentle lapping of the waves below upon the rocky shore. To her left was a natural staircase that led downwards.

What stood before the staircase was the real problem. Pandora let out a stream of curses as she noticed an armored warrior draw his broadsword from the long scabbard on his back. The sword's length was as long as he was tall, and a small iron shield with intricate, swirling symbols was attached to his left forearm. Gold spikes protruded from his helmet and narrow slits were left open for the eyes. His gauntlets were multilayered and jagged upon the knuckles.

He took an intimidating, heavy step forward and cracked the knuckles on one of his hands. The smooth rock beneath his feet showed signs of thin cracks with his passing.

Pandora took a struggled step back to put as much distance between her and the black knight as possible. She needed to hold on for just a little bit longer. The Reversion was about to take place. Just a little longer...

She found herself at the edge of the cliff, the heel of her foot no longer resting on solid ground. Her foot rose and fell a few times as if it was refusing to believe that it had reached the end of the line.

Pandora eyed her enemy and set the box down beside her. She attempted to mentally prepare herself for the inevitable encounter, despite the aching resistance of her body. The knight was now only a few yards away and he could easily close the distance between them, even with his bulky armor. The armored monster took a shorter step forward and lowered himself into a crouch, preparing to charge forward, with sword drawn parallel to the ground. Pandora took a fighting stance of her own and conjured a sphere of darkness that was a materialization of her own malice. It swirled calmly at first, and then increased in speed as she forced her hate to rise. It was the source of her power; the manifestation of dark emotions.

Just as both combatants leaned to ease weight on their back legs, a high-pitched voice pierced the silence from above.

"Unnecessary dramatic entrance PUNCH!" the enthusiastic voice shouted.

The black knight looked up in time for his face to be met with a spiked, metal fist that drove his head into the ground in a splash of rock and dirt that concealed both him and his assailant. The female who struck him drew back her other fist for a second attack, but the knight recovered faster than anticipated and drew a hidden dagger concealed in the waste of his armor. He slashed outwards in an upper arc, just barely missing the female, who had reared her upper body back to avoid the sneak attack. She pushed off the recovering knight and landed a few yards away, driving one of her fists into the ground to ease the landing for the rest of her body.

The girl stood straight and threw her long, black hair back over her shoulder, revealing a wide grin on her face. She had what appeared to be small fins extending near her ears and jagged horns growing from her head. She wore an aqua, silk kungfu suit that extended to her thighs, which were covered by elaborately crafted body armor of similar hue. Her white leggings and suit matched the shape of her body for increased mobility. The armor on her wrists were also of the same blue color as the rest of the armor, and sharp fins extended out of these as well, making them versatile for offense and defense in combat. What was most peculiar about her human-like appearance was the long, cerulean tail that extended from her lower back that barely brushed against the ground at its end.

She smashed her armored fists together dramatically and the metallic clang echoed throughout the cove. The girl turned to Pandora with the same winning grin.

"Heya Pandora! Just thought I'd drop in to lend a hand." She pumped her fist in the air for emphasis.

Pandora's shock instantly transformed into a relieved sighed. "What is with you Chinese gods showing up at the last minute?"

The girl pretended to consider the question for a moment before answering. Finally, she simply shrugged with the same happy expression. "I dunno, makes things more exciting I guess."

The conversation between the two girls was interrupted by the sound of scraping metal from where the knight had been dealt his brief beating. He rose slowly out of the wide crater that had formed around him from the heavy blow the girl had dealt. His hand rested on the flat of his sword and he drew it across the blade. At first, it seemed as if this motion was some sort of battle ritual, but upon further inspection, one could discern a faint, dull glow that emanated from the edges of the sword. The two females could tell that he was reinforcing the blade with one of his active skills.

"Any idea what that active skill is Karin?" Pandora inquired.

The enthusiastic girl, Karin, shook her head without a shred of concern. "Nope, but reinforcement isn't all that special." She brought her fists together again, this time in a controlled manner, as she prepared her defensive stance. "I got this."

* * *

><p>Leilan batted aside the first disc and angled her halberd diagonally towards the ground to catch the second. The first disc smashed into a third which immediately lost course and buried itself deeply into the rock; however, it didn't seem to lose its momentum and continued cutting through the stone in an awkward arc that passed Leilan at a safe distance from behind. The disc eating into the blade of the halberd was stubborn and attempted to slice through, but Leilan angled her grip downward so the disc also began to cut into the rock. She centered her hands on the staff of the weapon and a fourth disc drove into the top portion of the staff. This extra force pushed Leilan back and she felt her feet begin to slide. The final disc was now on its way, and Leilan was fully aware of the fact that her options were now limited, given the fact that the two discs spinning against the opposite ends of her halberd prevented her from moving to either side.<p>

She readjusted her grip once again so that the driving force of each disc on either side of the halberd was distributed equally. As the final disc was nearly upon her, she forced her hands upwards towards the sky and allowed her feet to leave the ground. She shot upward now that the two opposing forces of the discs no longer had any counterweight. By lifting her hands, she was able to change the angle of the discs so that she shot at an angle upwards rather than being pushed horizontally back along the ground. The final disc flew harmlessly below her and drove into one of the cliffs, utterly decimating the top half. The wall collapsed, and the resulting blast contributed to Leilan's now forward motion and allowed her to flip over the two discs still attached to her halberd. These two soon disconnected and flew into the sky and disappeared into the bright light of the moon.

Leilan landed right where she had begun, with not a single scratch to be seen on her body. She allowed the arm supporting her halberd to fall slightly so that its blade cut into the ground to relax her muscles.

Satan let out a grunt of disappointment. "Looks like the bird managed to fly."

He sat back against one of the walls of the cove and allowed his arms to rest easily at his side. The Reversion was at hand, and he knew now that there was no time to defeat Leilan and catch Pandora with such a constraint.

As the two warriors stared each other down, a bright pillar of yellow light descended from the sky and planted itself into the ground. Sparks erupted from the rock and small lights like fireflies encircled the pillar that signaled the official arrival of The Reversion.

Leilan side-stepped so she could get a full view of Satan who was now leaning back against a boulder completely at ease. She frowned at this. Satan had clearly lost this battle, a crucial battle at that, and yet, he seemed to be completely unfazed. As a matter of fact, he actually looked confident. Pandora's box was one of the keys to winning the war between the monsters. So why was he so nonchalant about what should have been a devastating defeat?

"What are you up to?" Leilan asked, masking the concern in her voice.

Satan regarded her as if he had just seen her for the first time. He leaned forward and clasped two of his hands together. "Nothing at all," his deep voice boomed throughout the cove despite his even tone, "I only just realized that this defeat is a minor hindrance in the whole scheme of things."

"Explain."

"I see no reason to," Satan replied. He decided to let those words sink in as he clasped two other hands behind his head.

He regarded the dark knights that stood around them. He had noticed during Pandora's retreat that they had not made any attempt to pursue her. They just stood there, staring vacantly into the distance with their weapons held at their side. He figured that perhaps another one of Leilan's active skills was in effect that caused minor monsters to enter a state of paralysis. He had to admit, it was a nifty little active skill. So was the first one that turned the attention of the discs away from the intended target.

He closed his eyes and still sensed the presence of Pandora and another individual that was just a short distance outside of the cove. One of his own was there as well, but it was clear that his opponent was still in peak condition. With that in mind, he concluded that the battle was now officially over. He was not accustomed to defeat, but he took it as a learning experience.

Two more pillars of light appeared. These two engulfed both Leilan and Satan. Satan glanced down at his hand and felt a soft tingling sensation creep along his fingertips that were now pixelated and flaky. As his fingers began to disappear and disintegrate, tiny flecks, no more the size of a grain of sand, floated up the pillar towards the moon in a lazy ascent.

Leilan's was overcome by a similar effect, and her whole body took on a strange sepia tone with a grayscale aura that outlined her form. She stared at her hands calmly as they were the first to disintegrate. Her weapon was next, and she felt naked without it even though her hands could not have held the weapon in the first place at this point.

When only their upper bodies remained, Satan gave her a slow nod and vanished. Leilan didn't know what that motion meant, but she hated to admit to herself that a sense of dread had creeped into her thoughts.

* * *

><p>Karin landed deftly against the rock wall and launched herself just as the blade of her enemy's sword embedded itself deeply into the stone. The dark knight jerked his arm back and the blade bent at an awkward angle as he whipped it around towards Karin. The sudden change in direction caught Karin off guard, and she was barely able to deflect the whip-like sword with a shower of water. The end of the blade cut her shoulder and she fell expertly into a roll that broke her fall.<p>

The knight retracted the bladed whip with the flick of his wrist and it became a broadsword once more.

_It can change shape? Interesting, _Karin thought, retaining her composure.

The water that she utilized to block the blade began to swirl around her and took the shape of a dragon serpent. The water dragon was incredibly detailed and even its sapphire scales were discernible on its liquid form. It settled around Karin and rested its head on her shoulder, awaiting her next command.

Pandora observed the battle from behind Karin and cursed herself for her weakened state. Just creating that tiny sphere of malice had drained nearly all of what little energy she had left. She still felt the parasitical aftereffects of the box from sealing it with the magic stones. The stones were still in their pure state, but she needed them to reach a certain level of corruption before the box was fully sealed. Extra energy was necessary, so she had to allow the box to continue feeding off of her until it was satisfied.

She watched helplessly as the black figure pointed his sword at Karin. It was as if he was daring her to make the first move.

Karin was accustomed to initiation, so she decided to humor him. The dragon resting on her shoulder creeped down her arm, swirled around it, and tightened, all while retaining a watery form. Karin snapped her fingers and, accepting the signal, the dragon charged forward, pulling Karin along with it. She beat her feet against the ground to increase speed and to launch herself in a multitude of directions to make herself a challenging target. It was clever due to the fact that the water dragon also changed direction as she formed signals with the bending of her fingers.

The knight stood there, sword still pointed in the same stance, save for the fact that his knees were now bent slightly. His other arm hung relaxed at his side, swaying no more than an inch in either direction, forward and then back.

As his opponent drew near, the blade, with astounding speed, extended to what should have been an impossible length. The blade was now nearly fifteen yards long and reached Karin in less than a fraction of a second.

Karin saw the blade right before her face, right between the eyes. It was as if everything had entered a state of slow motion. The tip of the blade crept closer and closer, the flat of the blade reflecting the yellow light of the moon. That brilliant light was what prevented her from flinching. That flinch was what prevented a crucial, slight twitch of a muscle that could respond to danger. She would not allow herself to flinch.

She let that trained, instinctive twitch take her when she noticed the second slight bend of her opponent's knees.

Karin relaxed her neck and gave her water dragon another quick sign that was executed relatively simultaneous with the previous one. Her dragon was trained well, for it immediately canceled the former sign and processed the latter just in time to pull Karin to the side. The tip of the long blade sliced along her cheek, drawing blood that the blade hungrily accepted.

It locked onto a new target: Pandora. Even in her weakened state Pandora had noticed the water dragon's last-second shift in direction. She rolled sideways and the blade extended past her head dealing no damage.

Karin detached the water dragon and skid along the rock, planting her fist into the ground to slow her to a halt.

She glanced up at her enemy. Her eyes widened when she noticed his extended arm. Karin saw his fingers forming familiar signs.

_He figured out my commands already?_

Immediately following that thought, The Reversion initiated its final stage.

The armored warrior stood calmly as a pillar of light enveloped his body and began the same process that was dealt to Leilan and Satan. Karin and Pandora were admitted soon after. Karin forced a wink at Pandora, who responded with a weak, yet relieved smile as their bodies began to disintegrate. Their adversary stood there silently and sheathed his blade into the scabbard on his back. It slid in easily and locked at the elegant pommel with a metallic click.

Karin saluted her opponent before her hands disappeared. "Nice battle there friend; even if you aren't much of a conversationalist, " she added.

The knight remained silent, but to Karin's surprise, returned a similar swift salute. As the last of their bodies disappeared, the pillars extended into the sky, along with hundreds of others that extended all over the virtual world. As the last of the pillars retracted, a silence fell over the world that would be short-lived.

* * *

><p>A hooded figure wearing a dark cloak stepped into Caramoc Cove once the last of the pillars disappeared from sight. He examined the aftermath of the battle that had just recently taken place. Debris was scattered everywhere and the individual noted the sliced rock that Satan's discs had punished.<p>

They were impressive to say the least. They had completely exceeded his expectations.

_I hope the Players show as much promise._

The cloaked figure examined a teal, banded device that encircled his wrist. It was covered with an array of small lights that were currently faded. It was akin to a wristband that extended nearly to his elbows with three thin slots that could be observed upon closer examination of its underside.

One of the lights lit up as the dark figure ran a gloved finger over it and a holographic screen appeared before his eyes. He scrolled with his fingertips through the menus that were listed. After a brief moment of searching, he settled upon the one he was looking for and pressed it gently.

A list of categories now appeared and he happened upon the one he was searching for instantly.

"Continue to entertain us," he whispered.

He wiped his hand over the category and pressed the holographic button that was presented to him.


	5. Chapter 3- Choices

**A/N: Hey everybody! Welcome to the next chapter of PADW. A lot of buildup I know, but trust me, it is all extremely important. A lot of conspiracies in the virtual and real world are about to unfold as the Players enter Puzzle and Dragons "World." **

**Remember, you can find images of these characters at the Puzzle and Dragons database.**

**I greatly appreciate all reviews of my work. It helps better my writing.**

**The time for entry is nearly at hand. Prepare for battle!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the monsters or game mechanics of Puzzle and Dragons.**

* * *

><p>"<em>Make sure everyone maintains their individuality. We need separate wills in order for our world to become the new reality." -Christopher Alsheimer, CEO of World Virtual Visions (WVV)<em>

**Chapter 3: Choices**

**Seattle, Washington**

**United States**

**May 24, 2020**

**3:07 PM**

**20 hours 53 minutes before launch of PADW**

_Athena. Karin. Mei Mei. Parvati. Sarasvati. Vishnu. Zeus. Metatron. Sakuya. Siegfried. Pandora. Belltraxex. Satan. Hera. Valkyrie. Verche. Echidna. Guan Yu. Cao Cao. Ra. Hades. Bastet. Sonia. Lilith. Tsukoyomi. Haku. Odin. Anubis. Isis. Idunn & Idunna. Persephone. Tearju. Apollo. Michael. Freyja. Noah. Alraune. Amaterasu. Raphael. Shiva. Cleopatra. Neptune. Da Qiao & Xiao Qiao. Venus. Okuninushi. Thanatos. Lu Bu..._

Ray scrolled through the massive list of characters presented to him on the screen. He swiped to the next page on the tablet and scanned through a new list of names. He had forgotten how many characters were now in this game; however, of course, he did not expect all of them to be included. After all, this version of Puzzle and Dragons was brand new, and the original game currently had a list of over two thousand characters.

But why didn't they at least list the characters in numerical order; or perhaps list them in alphabetical order or monster type or even attribute type? It was like the developers just decided to throw them all together in a randomizer and dump them out afterward.

The information and stats provided for each monster were also meager in presentation. All that was provided was: name, attribute, type, health, and attack. These were the basic bits of information needed to understand any playable character in a game. However, a Puzzle and Dragons Player would know that several pieces of crucial information were left out.

Most monsters in PAD had an active skill and a leader skill. The leader skill is passive, and is only activated if a monster is assigned the position of "leader" on a team. The active skill could be used after a certain amount of turns went by, or, in this new game, could be implemented after a certain amount of time or if other instances are met. Both of these skills were not listed. Ray had to wonder if maybe they had been changed. They couldn't have been removed, they were still in the new game guide. So why? Multiple other stats were missing as well.

_They are really leaving us in the dark aren't they. Guess I'll just have to adapt._

The man sitting at the desk in front of him constantly glanced at his watch as Ray swiped through another page. The man spoke up, "You know you only pick five right?"

Ray answered the man without looking up, "Yes, I know."

He didn't push the conversation further with an explanation as he maintained focus on the screen. The man unsuccessfully attempted to stifle a yawn and pretended to look through some papers at his desk.

Ray reached the last page and scanned until he reached the bottom.

_What the hell? She isn't here._

Ray scrolled back to the first page and frantically analyzed each and every monster that appeared. He looked at each name for at least a whole three seconds before he moved to the next one.

_Why can't I find her?_

Then a thought dawned on him as he began to weigh all the possibilities in his head. One of these disheartened him immensely.

_Did they remove her from the game?_

Impossible. There was absolutely no way they could remove a character like her. She was immensely popular and her skills were at a moderate level. She could conquer most of the dungeons in the previous game with a decent helper.

He had to convince himself that she was still in this game as well.

_Okay, so the Chinese gods are: Mei Mei, Karin, Sakuya, Haku, and Leilan._

Ray went through the list again searching for all the names of the Chinese gods. He first happened upon Karin on the second page, followed by Mei Mei. Sakuya was on the next page, and then Haku a few pages after that. There was still no sign of Leilan's name.

_What the hell is going on?_

He reached the last page again. His hands were sweating and it was difficult to move his finger across the screen fluidly. For a moment, his vision blurred and he rubbed his eyes, even though the motion was probably the worst course of action. The blur was probably due to the fact that he had been staring so intently at a screen for so long. He also noticed that his face was an unnecessary distance from the screen, probably less than an inch.

When he reached that last page he leaned back in the leather chair. He tried to force himself to relax, but found this to be impossible. Sitting hunched over had actually blocked off his breathing slightly and he realized he was panting. His encounters with asthma were brief at least.

The bored man behind the desk now eyed him curiously. "Everything okay kid?"

Ray regarded him with a slight nod. "Yeah, just didn't get enough sleep last night."

The man laughed humorlessly, "Nervous or something?"

Ray let out a soft chuckle. The truth was, the fact he was going to be in this game with the entire world watching him was a little unsettling. He didn't need that added on to the desperation and disbelief he was fighting with right now.

* * *

><p><strong>Sanctuary, Pirugan Continent<strong>

**May 24, 2020**

**3:02 PM**

**20 hours 58 minutes before launch of PADW**

"I am afraid we are out of time," Metatron announced gravely to the other god monsters that sat at the long table before her.

They all looked down grimly despite their recent victory against Satan and the other unknown dark knight that appeared at Caramoc Cove. The past few days had finally taken a toll on all of their spirits. Even though they had successfully escaped with Pandora's box, Satan's power had proven that there was another force at work that was beyond their comprehension. Satan's unexpected discovery of Pandora was a testament to the fact that his information network and influence extended far beyond their expectations.

Even with the conclusion of the Reversion, they were still losing. They were all straight back to level one.

Metatron's black half-slip dress had been matted with dirt in a recent engagement with dark mystic knights that had attacked Sanctuary during the engagement with Satan. The Caricthmian style fabric, formed from the volatile metal of the same name native to this world, was torn in multiple places. Her cloak was completely incinerated from fighting a pyro demon and the right sleeve of her dress was completely torn off. Her pink-colored hair was extremely disheveled, even more than usual. Her once radiant face still retained its beauty, but was now worn with heavy, tired eyes.

She stared down at Pandora who slept calmly beside her. When Pandora had arrived in Sanctuary, she had been on the verge of passing out from the amount of energy that the box had stolen from her. The chains of the chest had awoken once more and wrapped themselves around Pandora, feeding hungrily on her life energy. It had taken three of them to pry the chains off of her and place her a safe distance away. Metatron felt a small bit of relief when she heard Pandora's labored breathing settle down to an even pace.

Metatron turned her attention back to her weary comrades. "The Reversion has deprived us of most of our power. It would seem that the Creator who came to us only a few days ago was correct. We are, essentially, powerless. However, our enemies are also effected by The Reversion." She paused for a moment to collect herself. "They have some force that is working alongside them. Something we cannot even fathom. I would say it is quite possible we have lost our only advantage."

She rested her book on the stone table and rifled through some of the pages. Metatron analyzed the contents carefully and jotted a few quick notes with a quill and paper that magically appeared from her hands. She muttered under her breath and the quill carried out her commands.

The other gods waited patiently. They knew not to disturb her during her random moments of inspiration.

After a few moments, one of the gods broke the silence. A timid looking girl with long, flowing blonde hair rose timidly from her seat and clasped her hands behind her. She wore a white skin-tight outfit laced with gold that extended just past her thighs and reached towards her hands to wrap around her fingers to fit like a glove.

She began to play nervously with the end of her golden serpent tail as she spoke, "Metatron, um, I just have a quick question to ask."

Metatron immediately stopped her work to give the girl her full attention. "Yes Sakuya." She took note of Sakuya's trembling hands. "What's the matter?"

Sakuya released her tail and allowed it to settle on the floor behind her. "Do we, well, do we actually have to-partner with one of these Players?"

Metatron sighed with a mixture of exasperation and sympathy. "Sakuya, you told me you had already finished with the book."

Sakuya nodded. "Y-yes, I did, but, um, I closed it before I made my choice. I'm sorry but, I don't think I can do it."

There was a long silence that settled over the room. Some of the other gods glanced at each other awkwardly and exchanged a few brief whispers of conversation. If what Sakuya said was true, then it might be already too late for her to choose a Player from Metatron's book.

Leilan stared at her fellow Chinese god and heaved a heavy sigh. She rose from her seat across from Sakuya and spoke, "Metatron, I have also not chosen a Player as my partner."

Metatron stared at her in disbelief. The last person she expected this from was her.

"You too Leilan? Don't you know what that means?"

Leilan nodded. "Yes. I deemed the situation at Caramoc Cove to be a more pressing matter, so I forfeited my choice."

Metatron desperately flipped through the pages of her book upon hearing this and stepped away from it to give Leilan some room. "This is probably your last chance." She eyed both Sakuya and Leilan. "If you don't choose then you are leaving your fate up to whoever is currently in control of this world."

Leilan and Sakuya exchanged an uneasy look. It was true that if they didn't take this opportunity now, then they could end up with a Player they didn't desire, or cast off into some forsaken dungeon. Leilan was hoping that she could avoid either of these situations, but Metatron's reaction was now giving her second thoughts.

"Trust your instincts," Metatron pleaded.

The other gods were now completely silent and sat forward expectantly.

A wind bearing ill omens swept past them and even the circling leaves seemed to not break the uncomfortable silence. Even Leilan's mind was devoid of sound. She was weary, and contemplation was like trying to run through water. All of her weight was now resting on her hands. Her eyes felt like they were etching the solution for her in the stone of the table.

There was a name she had seen. The name was once prominent in her mind and the name would resolve her dilemma. It was somewhere in the back of her mind, attempting to force everything unnecessary out of the way. If she could find that name again, then maybe, just maybe...

She shook herself from her reverie and walked swiftly, taking long strides in Metatron's direction, her eyes focused intently on the book. The book was already opened to the section she needed and she began searching through all of the Player files.

After a few minutes of analyzing names and Player profiles, she felt another presence beside her and glanced up to see Sakuya fidgeting nervously next to her. Metatron stood back a ways behind them to give the two gods enough space to think without interruption. The other gods waited patiently for Leilan and Sakuya to complete their work.

Leilan reached the end of the Player profiles and realized that none of the names had triggered any recognition whatsoever. She flipped back to the front and scanned over the names again. Even though she was pressed for time, she slowly read each name and even went through the profiles thoroughly to make sure she didn't miss a single word that could jarr her memory.

She finally reached the end of the book, and still she could not find the name she was searching for.

Leilan motioned for Sakuya to read the book. "Give me a minute to think."

Sakuya nodded and stared at the book as if it was going to jump at her like an alligator. She rested her hands on the pages and took a deep breath before gently turning each page.

_The name, _Leilan thought, _What was his name? Yes, that's right. It was a male. Definitely a male. A young male. What was his name?_

* * *

><p>Two men in black suits and matching tie checked through the pages of the tablet that Ray handed to them. They were both skeptical when Ray told them that a name was missing from the list. He had insisted that he checked nearly ten times to make sure that the name was missing, but they still felt the need to see for themselves. After a few minutes, one of the men exited the room to fetch one of the tech supporters in charge of the character selection.<p>

Ray didn't even have time to blink before another man, this one dressed in casual wear, entered the room with an air of calm and took the tablet from the other man. Ray noted the man's Avenged Sevenfold shirt and the black beanie hat he wore, despite the fact they were in the middle of summer.

The man in the A7X shirt glanced at Ray and gave a short smirk. "Looks like you're right pal. Leilan is not in the character roster here." He handed the tablet to Ray. "Looks like someone in my department is going to be getting an earful. Let me check and make sure Leilan is in the character pool of the main system."

"Thank you," Ray replied. He went back to analyzing the list of characters. He might as well take the time memorizing all he can with the extra time, even if it did encourage a now enhanced feeling of apprehension.

The silence in the room settled around him as the two men in black stood at either side of the door, their hands clasped behind their backs with shoulders perfectly straight. Ray found it strange how these people acted. He noticed similar men and women in comparative attire who seemed to walk through the halls in a similar robotic fashion. Even their eyes seemed glassy as they carefully analyzed each person they came in contact with. They even ate like robots, methodically eating their food with the same amount of time between bites and lacking any sort of conversation. It was kind of creepy. All they needed now were some plain white walls and little silver pens that released flashes of light that mixed up your brain.

After a few more minutes, Leilan's name appeared on the last page.

* * *

><p>Sakuya stepped away from the book and returned to her seat. The look of horror was now plain on her face. She did not want to end up with one of these Players. She didn't trust them. They came from where the Creators were, and she definitely didn't trust <em>them<em> either.

Leilan approached the book only after Metatron beckoned for her to mirror Sakuya.

With a now steady hand, she flipped through the pages once again and her eyes widened.

There it was. The name. She recognized it immediately. The physical details, the biography, the stats, everything. His eyes. That was what triggered this recognition the most. There was something in those eyes she couldn't quite place, but they put her at ease.

She placed a hand over the page.

* * *

><p>Ray placed his hand over Leilan's page and the screen began its scan. After a few seconds, a message appeared that read, <em>Character Selections Complete<em>. He retracted his hand and handed the tablet to one of the men in black.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington<strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**9:00 AM**

**3 hours before launch of PADW**

"Today is that day ladies and gentleman. You will soon be embarking on a journey through a brand new world the likes of which nobody has ever seen. You will be the first to experience this vibrant world, and the whole world will be watching you."

The large man paused as he scanned the crowd of Players who eagerly awaited the rest of their instructions. Their enthusiasm pleased him greatly.

"Upon entry, you will select three starting pieces of equipment. Then, you will be instructed by the AI, Lo, on how to proceed from there through a brief tutorial so that you may adapt to the game's new mechanics."

He paused to make his next announcement even more dramatic, "When you complete the tutorial, you will then meet your starting monster partner."

The crowd erupted into cheers as they finally received this confirmation. The Players had been wondering if they would meet their partners immediately, and now their prayers had brought reward.

The man waited until the cheers died down before continuing, "In this world, your sense of time will be altered. One day in the game world is equivalent to a single hour in this world. You may enter and exit the virtual world at any time you please. Manage your time wisely. As your Gamemaster, I will ensure that you are logged in and logged out safely with the help of your designated supervisor. Does anyone have anymore questions?"

One individual raised his hand immediately.

"Yes?"

The young man's friends were snickering around him. He also attempted to stifle his laughter.

"How do we know when we need to take a shit?"

The audience erupted into uncontrollable laughter at this, and even the Gamemaster, in all of his professionalism, couldn't suppress a grin.

He answered, "Oh believe me, you'll know."

His answer brought forth more laughter.

Ray felt a nudge on his shoulder and turned to see Lucy motioning to him.

"We are going to meet at the Gods Descended Arena," she whispered in his ear.

Ray nodded. "There is an event scheduled on the database right?"

Keiichi suddenly grabbed him from behind in a tight hug. "This is it man! This is it! Let's kick some ass!"

Lucy joined in on the hug and they rocked back and forth as Ray tried to stay steady on his feet from all the uneven weight.

"We got this!" Lucy shouted along with the cacophony from the other excited Players.

Ray felt the enthusiasm of his friends seep into him. He wanted to maintain an air of calm and collectedness that was a little more to his character, but he just simply couldn't suppress his excitement either.

"To PADW!" Keiichi shouted.

"To PADW!" Ray and Lucy replied in unison.

The time for entry was nearly at hand.

* * *

><p>Two men sat in the darkness of a closed-off office, separate from other sections of the building where the Players were being given their final instructions. The walls were completely sound-proof, and the mechanical sensors implanted around the room disabled any technological devices that entered the set area. Others from the outside were unaware of this room's existence. Only a select few were granted entrance, and even fewer were actually aware of their employer's intentions.<p>

In the end, all that really mattered to these people was the paycheck and their involvement being strictly anonymous. The consequences of their actions were of no concern, just as long as they did not involve them directly. The suffering of a few Players was a necessary and expected repercussion.

One of the men interrupted the silence, "It would seem that two SSSs have appeared that are not part of our assembled team."

"Is that so? Interesting. And the chances of this being a coincidence?"

"Considerably less than one percent sir."

There was a slight pause. "No matter. We still maintain control of the system. The game was won far before it even began."

"And the others?"

"Let events play out as they may. No need for us to risk exposure for a slight inconvenience."


	6. Chapter 4- Entry

**A/N: ****So, looks like we are finally entering the Virtual World eh? Wicker sweet! Now that many of the characters pertinent to our journey have been introduced, events and time should move by a little quicker. After all, one day in the Virtual World is equivalent to only a single hour in the Real World. They are going to be there for quite some time. **

**Once again, you can find images for most of these monsters at the Puzzle and Dragons database. Stats for monsters in this story do not necessarily reflect those at the database.**

* * *

><p><em>"I've hacked into the most thorough security system in the world during a lunch break. A constantly evolving, goal-driven, malicious AI shouldn't be too much of an issue." -Rick Moore (Former Security Programmer for World Virtual Visions) <em>

**Chapter 4: Entry**

**The Virtual World**

**Pirugan Continent, Vesta Cave**

**May 25, 2020**

**11:45 AM**

**15 minutes before launch of PADW**

Pandora woke to the gentle stream of running water. A cool breeze brushed the hair from her heavy eyes as she attempted to focus on her surroundings. As her eyes adapted to the light, she saw a mixture of colors: green, yellow, red, brown, it was just a muddle of different hues and blurry shapes. Her head lolled back and forth against her meager will. Her body bumped up and down weakly, her drained arms dangling useless. She was, however, conscious of the fact that she was above ground.

She reasoned that she was being carried, and as her vision sharpened, she made out a canopy of leaves and branches above her.

A forest. She was in a forest.

Just lifting her head brought forth a dizzy spell and she allowed it to fall once again. Her cheek rested against a cool metal surface as her bearer continued up the winding dirt path.

After a few more minutes, they came to a halt, and Pandora heard familiar voices.

"This is the place Verche," the soft female voice said.

Pandora felt herself slide off the shoulder of the knight who carried her and she was rested gently on the ground. She looked up to a concealed face completely masked by a white and gold helm. A wing jutted out each side of the helm and a thin V-shaped area was left where the eyes should have been. All she saw through the visor was darkness.

The knight wore a full set of elaborate white and gold body armor. A small shield was attached to one arm and a massive broadsword was slung along his back. His angelic wings were currently retracted.

The knight, Verche, motioned for the unknown individual's attention and Pandora saw Metatron's face come into focus. The concern on her features was apparent. She reached into a satchel and produced a small bottle of some strange liquid.

Another man stood behind her wearing crimson armor and a long matching cape with gold trimming. He let down his hood and revealed a stern middle-aged face with spiked brown hair. He ran a hand over his stubble of a beard as if he were contemplating something.

Metatron settled the bottle over Pandora's lips and she could feel a cool sensation begin to crawl through her veins. A strange lukewarm feeling took over and she felt the dullness that had overcome her senses wash away. She was obviously far from recovered, but whatever Metatron had given her had provided enough strength for her to rise. Pandora took a hesitant, strained step forward with knees threatening to buckle. One leg gave out, but Verche remained at her side and rested a hand under her arm to right her gently. She nodded to the knight gratefully and examined her surroundings.

Her suspicions had been confirmed. They were in a forest, and off to the side she observed a tall cliff face that she assumed was a part of the Sacred Mt. Bakkes. A wide gaping cave greeted the group.

The older warrior in red stepped towards the cave and set the chest he was carrying on the ground. Pandora recognized it as her box.

"Wait here," the man said, "I will scout ahead."

"Thank you Cao Cao." Metatron nodded her appreciation.

Cao Cao descended into the tunnel and disappeared.

Metatron turned back to Pandora. "How are you?" she asked.

Pandora shook her head to clear the rest of the fuzziness from her vision. "Well enough. I think I can walk at least."

Metatron nodded with relief. "Great to hear. We haven't much time."

The two females noticed Verche curiously approach the mouth of the cave. He extended his wings and flew up to a ledge so he could get a better view of the surrounding area. As he scanned the vastness of the forest, his gaze fell upon a shaking of the canopy somewhere in the distance. He judged that the span couldn't have been more than a few klicks. His trained eyes focused deeper into the area of interest. They narrowed as he confirmed his suspicions.

With all due haste he dropped back down to Metatron and Pandora to report his findings. Cao Cao had just exited the cave as he landed.

"We have been discovered," Verche reported.

Metatron's eyes widened in disbelief. "How? That's impossible. Sun Quan and Odin should be holding their attention."

Cao Cao cursed under his breath, "Apparently our ruse was unsuccessful." He drew his short sword.

Verche stepped in front of the rest of his comrades and readied his broadsword, with the addition of a few adjustments to his shield to ready himself for combat.

"You'd best get moving," he suggested, "I will buy you the time needed."

Metatron was about to protest, but she stopped herself as she glanced over at Pandora, who still remained unsteady on her feet. There was no way they could ensure Pandora's safety in an all-out engagement. There was also the box to consider. If any of their enemies managed to get a hold of it...the risk was far too great. She hated leaving her comrade behind, but there was really no choice in the matter. Verche knew what had to be done, and sitting here arguing just ate away at the time Verche would be giving them. Even though the Reversion had drained them of nearly all the power gained over all this time Metatron did not doubt Verche's fighting ability. He was still a magnificent warrior. Maybe there was still a chance he could make an escape once they had distanced themselves enough. Metatron struggled to convince herself but...

Metatron nodded reluctantly. "Very well Verche. Thank you."

She grabbed Pandora's box and led the way to the cave.

Pandora walked unsteadily to Verche and hugged him around the waste. "Be safe Verche."

Verche sensed the guilt in her voice and he turned to crouch in front of her. He rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"We do what we must," he said calmly, "Stay hidden and wait for the others."

Pandora nodded sadly and stumbled back to Metatron. The two females spared one last look behind them before disappearing into the cave.

Verche halted Cao Cao with his extended blade as he moved to stand beside him. Cao Cao gave him a hard stare as he understood the meaning behind the motion.

"You need to go to Valhalla," Verche stated simply.

Cao Cao grunted, "If you think I'm leaving you to get slaughtered-"

"The Valkyries need Metatron's message. That is the task you were given," Verche interrupted with his even tone.

Cao Cao clenched his fists, not just because of the situation, but because he knew that Verche was right. Everyone had their own duties to fulfill. Verche had accepted his, so the least Cao Cao could do was uphold his end.

"I should technically be your superior," Cao Cao growled, attempting to mask his concern, "Where do you get off talking to me like that?"

With that last remark, he extended his hand and his expression softened. Verche stared at it as if the gesture was foreign to him. After an uncertain moment, he drove his sword into the ground and took Cao Cao's hand in a firm handshake.

Cao Cao nodded and made his way through the forest in the opposite direction.

A terrifying, guttural scream erupted from behind Verche in the forest. An ominous silence followed. The monsters that were approaching were out for blood. The animals had all fled and even the wind had retreated. The only sound that reached Verche's ears now was the still running water of the stream and his own even breath.

Verche drew his sword from the dirt and twirled it in his hand a few times to stretch and loosen his fingers.

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington<strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**11:45 AM**

**15 minutes before launch of PADW**

Ray laid back in the padded reclining chair and stared at the ceiling with a mixture of anticipation and apprehension. He was elated to be entering a world that he had so long dreamed of; on the other hand, the wires and flashing lights from the many consoles that surrounded him were foreign to him, and who knows where those wires would be inserted or how it would feel to actually enter the world. He hadn't really put much thought into it until now.

The room was set up pleasantly at least. A couple of love seats, a wood table, and some other furnishings dotted the room. Ray didn't really see the point since he was going to be in the virtual world most of the time, but perhaps it was to put him at ease and to give the room a more homely feel. If the room had been painted a plain white all over with just the wires and gadgets, it would have probably felt like a patient room in some asylum.

As he mulled over his thoughts, the metal door on the other side of the room opened and a woman entered carrying a small briefcase. She adjusted her spectacles as she approached Ray. It was Emily, the supervisor he had spoken to when he finished his physical and intrinsic tests.

She walked over to the table, grabbed one of the chairs, and pulled it over next to Ray. Before taking a seat, she looked over Ray as if he were some rare specimen in a science experiment. Well, that assessment wasn't too far off. The Players were practically beta testers for the game.

Emily finally sat down, opened the briefcase, and rifled through its contents. Through the whole exchange, neither of them spoke a word. One was waiting for the other to speak: Emily awaiting anticipated questions, and Ray expecting explanations without the need for questioning in the first place.

Emily found what she was looking for and decided to break the silence. She gave him an encouraging smile that was unexpected. "So, the time has come. Excited?"

Ray shrugged. "Yeah but," he paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "Not sure how I feel about all of, well..." He gestured to the wires and flashing buttons. "This. That's all."

Emily nodded. "Don't worry. I am here to ensure that you have a safe entry."

Ray nodded and noticed that he had been holding his breath. He let it out slowly and felt better just from the simple realization. It meant he was thinking clearly again.

"These implants will just be giving the guys upstairs some neural readings to gauge the game's stability. It has already been tested through every conceivable scenario. With all the fail-safes and protocols we have in place, we have a one hundred percent safety guarantee."

Ray let out a soft chuckle. "Well, that's reassuring."

"By the way," Emily added, "I looked at some other bits of information about you. Did you start the original game late or did you just not really have time for it? Your rank was pretty low. Not that it really means anything mind you."

The humor left Ray's voice with the reminder, "Yeah, I started the game pretty late. Didn't own a phone that could run it at the time." He went back to staring at the ceiling. "The only thing that worries me a bit is not being taken seriously because of it."

Emily shrugged. "Think of it this way. It might actually make it easier to travel under the radar. You may surprise people."

Ray pondered her words for a moment. She didn't know him at all. The only things she did know were typed out on pieces of paper in someone else's own words. Maybe there was something in those reports. The possibility gave him some much needed confidence.

"A word of advice," Emily said after a short silence. Her tone had taken an immediate turn and was now dead serious. "The monsters in this world are far wiser than you think. Listen to them. They have valuable information and wisdom."

Ray eyed her curiously. He had already known that the interactions with the NPCs (non-playable characters) and monsters were supposed to be something nothing short of revolutionary, but the way she had offered her suggestion remained most prominent. It was as if, perhaps, she had interacted with the monsters herself at one point. But that would have been impossible. Nobody had entered the world before today. So what was it?

"Why are you telling me this?" Ray asked.

Emily gave him a friendly, reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm the type of person who likes to root for the underdog. I've had the opportunity to see how this world works from a screen. Oh, and speaking of screens, don't forget that people all over the world are going to be watching you guys in there. They will be expecting great things."

Ray groaned, "Don't remind me. Was never really good in front of an audience."

Emily laughed genuinely, "Well, if you ever want some privacy, here is another little tidbit. Dwellings that you live in, Arbor fountains, and some other areas will not have viewers watching you. So there's that."

With all this information, Ray began to suspect even more that it wasn't just because he was an underdog. No, definitely not.

Before he had the opportunity to question her more, she tossed him the virtual headgear. He caught it easily, but was still surprised that she decided to throw what was most likely a delicate and expensive piece of equipment.

Ray examined the surface of the headgear and ran his fingers over the shallow grooves. It looked like a motorcycle helmet that covered the top half of his head with a visor that laid over his eyes.

Emily attached a metal band to his wrist that would be his personal database and inserted a few wires into the ports, "Nice reflexes," she commented.

After she finished the remaining preparations with the hardware, she approached a console and ran her hand over the holographic screen. She typed in her username and password, entered his intrinsic scan settings, and then another few bits of data.

"Alright, put the headgear on," Emily said.

Ray nodded, took a deep breath, and placed the helmet on his head. The padding on the inside actually made it extremely comfortable. A Player always wants to be comfortable when gaming for hours on end, but if he was going to be focused in this virtual world, did it really matter?

Ray turned his head to Emily whose skin was now a light blue due to the glass of the visor. She was looking straight at him and had her finger held over an unseen button. By the uncertain expression on her face, she seemed to be considering something that Ray couldn't be sure of.

"Is it all good?" Ray asked.

Emily nodded quickly. "Yup. I'm going to set the timer for entry. You will be entered automatically when it hits twelve o'clock."

She pressed the button, closed her briefcase, and strode to the door with an extra spring in her step. She spared one last glance back at Ray and exited the room without another word.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Vesta Cave**

**May 25, 2020**

**11:50 AM**

**10 minutes before launch of PADW**

Verche slashed at the nearest of the taur demons, the creature's dog-like head sliced clean off and its body disappeared in a glittering shower of data particles. The other taur demons were unfazed by the death of their comrade and pushed forward in ever-growing numbers to overwhelm Verche. Their hooved feet drove into the ground and Verche found himself pushed back to the cave's entrance. The taur demons halted just outside the reach of his broadsword. They mocked him with their permanent grins splayed over their faces. The monsters tested Verche with a few quick thrusts of their pikes and tridents.

Normally in this situation, Verche would have taken to the air where he had more freedom of movement. The black devil wings on the taur demons gave them flight, but their maneuvering skills in the air were sub par at best. They were approximately a head shorter than Verche, and their wings were not developed suitably to support their size. But if Verche did choose to take advantage of the skies, the demons would have no resistance on the ground, which meant they could easily enter the cave and pursue the true prey, Metatron and Pandora. So Verche was now stuck between a literal rock and a hard place.

Verche spared a glance over his shoulder to stare at the sun above, which had turned into a bright purple with the familiar swirling tendrils akin to the glowing moon during The Reversion. The only difference was that this was the sun instead of the moon, and the light was purple rather than a fluorescent yellow. Even though the time for the Players' arrival was at hand, he knew that he was out of time.

"So close," Verche muttered.

The taur demons noticed the transformation of the sun as well, and realized they had little time to finish off their foe. They all charged in unison, some of them attempting to slip by Verche as others attacked him head on.

The Reversion may have significantly reduced Verche's power, but he was not without his eternal arsenal of weaponry. He drove his broadsword into the ground and its insertion bid forth an invisible outward force that pushed the taur demons back, sending some of them flying into their comrades at the rear and into the surrounding foliage. They recovered themselves whilst maintaining their evil grins.

Verche whispered under his breath, "I am Godly Knight of the Sky, Verche. Weapons of the light, of the sun, hear my call."

As he spoke these words, a board full of glowing orbs appeared in front of him, shining brilliantly before his eyes standing upright nearly at Verche's height of six feet. The taur demons backed up instinctively. Even they couldn't mask their surprise upon seeing the board of orbs. It was something that only Players should have, but Verche's was different.

The board consisted of five rows and six columns like a typical Player board. Players matched same color orbs in groups of three or more to give power to their monsters, depending upon the orb attributes they matched; however, Verche's orbs differed. Instead of having the typical attributes of light, dark, wood, fire, and water, Verche's orbs held symbols of weapons. For Verche, a master of light weapons, his board held infinite possibilities that only his trained eyes could discern.

He eyed the board for only a brief moment before placing an armored finger on an orb with the symbol of a scimitar etched into it. He moved it around the board. As this orb crossed other orbs, these overlapped orbs took the place of the moving orb's previous position. When he was finished, he had formed five combinations of three matched orbs for five different types of weapons.

Upon completion, the groups of orbs vanished and five beams of pale yellow light descended from some unseen points in the sky. Five weapons, one in each pillar of light, descended and embedded themselves in the ground around Verche, showering all combatants in waves of rock and dirt. The weapons smoked from the searing heat of descent, but Verche embraced the pain as he drew his first weapon from the ground. He approached a second weapon and readied this one as well.

In his hands he held a short halberd and a broadsword even more massive than his previous one. Circles with strange runes spun slowly around the blades.

The taur demons charged, undeterred by this magnificent display. Their minds and hearts were strangers to fear. The lead taur demon leaped high over Verche and stabbed out with its pitchfork, but was met by the blade of Verche's halberd. The taur demon impaled itself on the blade and struggled to free itself despite certain death. It felt no pain, and so it was unaware of death's embrace until the time had actually arrived. It disappeared in a burst of data.

A trio of demons focused on Verche's feet, but he had already extended his wings mid-thrust to push himself back a few feet to give himself room to swing the halberd horizontally. The axe blade of the halberd cut through all three demons and they vanished.

Verche was now standing a short ways into the cave and realized that the mouth of the cave opened up to a steep descent with rocks and notable paths providing multiple entrances to the tunnels below. The area provided no room to maneuver with all the debris, and the many paths would make it too easy for the taur demons to slip past. He beat his wings furiously and thrust forward, swatting a large group of demons aside with his wings and weapons in a controlled spiral. Verche now found himself just outside the entrance of the cave once more. He lashed out as four demons attempted to leap down upon him from above. An unseen alternate path around a hidden curve in the trees must have wrapped around the base of the mountain to the ledges above. His broadsword cut through them like twigs.

As he was occupied with the demons on the ledge, another eager group approached Verche from behind and stabbed up through a crease near the lower back of his armor. Verche groaned in pain as two pikes drove into the left side of his back and one through his wing. A circle of light energy swirled around his halberd upon his command and he launched a beam of energy upon the remaining demons on the ledges. The ledge and demons exploded in a shower of light. Those that had managed to escape Verche's attack were crushed by boulders and rock as they fell to the ground. This gave him the opportunity to focus on the demons still driving their weapons into his blind side. He whirled about and cut through his attackers, severing limbs and damaging morale. The halberd in his hand flickered out and vanished.

Verche immediately rushed to one of his other weapons and lifted a double-edged axe from the ground. He adjusted his weight to achieve a new dual wielding stance. The axe was slightly heavier than the halberd, and the weight was distributed more towards the center rather than the end.

More taur demons made a break for the cave and Verche batted them aside with his outstretched wings and twirling heavy weapons. His enemies soon realized that there was no way they would be rushing past him until he was subdued. All attempts at distraction were abandoned. Dozens of taur demons braced their weapons in both hands and attacked from the front and both sides. Verche managed to parry aside most of the weapons, but a few pierced through and he felt another sharp pain as tridents and pikes drove marginally through his side armor. A taur demon received a sword to the chest and the sword vanished just as the halberd did. Verche lashed out and his metaled fist broke the jaw of another demon, sending it careening through its allies' lined formation.

Verche took this opportunity to grab another weapon, this one a spear, and stabbed through the chest of a demon that had strayed too far from its squad. Its partner, who was unfortunate enough to be behind it, was also impaled through the stomach. As Verche prepared to withdraw his spear, two taur demons jumped up on either side of him. Only one weapon was now free; there was only an opportunity to slice one of the demons with his axe. The second demon landed and drove its pike into Verche's shoulder. Verche relaxed his body slightly to better endure the pain of the expected blow, but he felt the arm holding his spear begin to weaken and sag. He dropped his spear, grabbed the demon on his shoulder roughly by the neck, flung it to the ground, and stomped a metal boot on its face.

Verche thrust his axe forward and crushed the pharynx of another charging demon. In the midst of his forward motion, another weapon entered his leg and he felt the leg collapse underneath him. He managed to bend his leg just enough to land heavily on one knee to maintain an uncomfortable crouched defense. He looked at his leg and saw a trident driven into the back of his knee. One of the demons had opted to throw its weapon rather than come into range of Verche's expertly wielded weapons. He jerked the weapon out with a grunt.

The wounded warrior miraculously found the strength to will his wounded leg forward and approached his final weapon that a group of demons were struggling to pull out of the ground. It was impossible for the demons to draw the blade, it was already bound to Verche.

Verche cut down the demons that circled his weapon and his axe flickered out. He forced his final weapon from the dirt with his functioning arm and readied himself for what he assumed would be the last bout. One of his arms now hung uselessly at his side, blood dripping from his burned fingertips, and the limp in one of his legs was all too palpable. If it weren't for The Reversion draining most of his power, he just may have been able to handle these lesser monsters despite their massive numbers. The knight, in his gravely weakened state, gave the demons all the confidence they needed, and they strode forward with no concern for their own lives.

Verche breathed a small bit of thanks, for the demons had completely forgotten about Metatron and Pandora. His mighty display provided all the distraction they needed.

Verche swung his newly acquired weapon, a scimitar, in an upper arc and cut through the chest of a taur demon that strayed too far from its companions in its eagerness. The momentum of his swing made it impossible for him to cut the next taur demon to his side so he landed a devastating kick into the demon's face and sent its crumpled form into the nearest tree. To his other side, three more demons drove their tridents into his last strong leg. Three tri-blades tore through muscle and tendon, rendering it useless. Verche ignored the pain, swinging his scimitar wildly in desperation and completely destroyed the attacking taur demons with his undisciplined attacks. Finesse had been abandoned. Form had been discarded. All that was left was to kill as many of the bastards as possible for his own satisfaction.

He fought from his knees, both legs weakened with a useless arm hanging at his side.

After what seemed like an eternity, his last weapon flickered out. He stared at his empty hands. Typically in this situation, anyone else, seeing the absence of their weapon, would have deemed the battle over. But not Verche. Not him.

He spared one last look at the sky and saw that the light tendrils had disappeared from around the sun, _So very close._

The demons let out a howl of triumph and threw themselves at Verche. He fought as best he could with the remaining strength in his one arm. A few demons fell to the power of his fist: jaws broken, throats crushed, and bones shattered, but soon even that was extinguished. Tridents and pikes drove into his stomach area, shoulders, and lower back. They tore viciously at his once beautiful, grand wings to the point where the nerves grew numb. He lay their in a damaged heap, blood flowing freely from his grievous wounds, his golden armor splattered and tarnished by the blood of his enemies and his own.

On the ground he saw one of the ornamental wings that had been cut off his helmet. Hooves stomped over it and buried it into the dirt. With what energy he had left, he reached out for it earnestly, hooves and blades clouding his vision as they beat against his helmet. He grasped the token firmly in his metal fingers. Before his eyes surrendered to darkness, he drew the broken wing to his chest and held it like a cherished infant.

* * *

><p><strong>?<strong>

**?**

**May 25, 2020**

**12:00 PM**

**Prepare for Launch**

White. All around was this pure milky white. Rays of light sparkled with tiny particles all over and streams of numbers, letters, and symbols flowed within, shifting colors according to the light's refractions. It was impossible to tell where was up or down or if he was floating or falling.

Ray's eyes adjusted to the blinding beams and he realized that some of the data streams flowed through his body. They flowed through his hands, legs, feet, everywhere on his body. It was accompanied by a brief tingling sensation as if his limbs had fallen asleep.

The silence of the data world was interrupted by a mechanical female voice, "_Welcome Player. Please stand-by as final configurations are implemented._"

Ray felt his limbs tighten. The stiffness was not painful, but the lack of control instituted a brief panic. One of the rays of light began to bend and focused its attention on Ray. The stream of data passed silently into him.

"_Downloading intrinsic settings. Adjusting settings accordingly to updates. Applying intrinsic settings in 3,2,1...Brace for pulse."_

Ray felt his body jerk upwards as if he had been applied a shock from an AED; his back arched and his fingers flexed against his will. It felt as if his muscles were being stretched taught and his limbs extended. After only a few seconds, his body relaxed. There had been no pain throughout the entire process.

"_Intrinsic settings applied. Initiating neural safety protocols 1-37. Connecting manual fail-safe links 1-7...success. No complications with connection."_

The white area melted away and was replaced by glowing, lime green grids encompassing a pitch blackness. The rays of data streams faded to nothingness and Ray now found himself standing. He tapped his foot on the unseen surface a few times to be sure. Below the invisible surface he observed more grids that pulsated with lines of some unknown energy.

_"Please stand on the white grid Player."_

One of the black grids with the green edges began to glow white and Ray did as he was told. The light rose above him and consumed his form. As he looked at his arms he saw black metal wrist guards appear and his hands became enveloped in dark leather gloves. His chest and back were now covered by a thin onyx cuirass with three layers of overlapping metal. Ebony shin guards and flexible waist armor appeared. His shoulders were armored with low-rounded pauldrons. To finish the outfit off, he slipped his arms into a long, and surprisingly light, black coat.

When the light disappeared, Ray gave his body another look and grinned like an excited child introduced to its first ever toy store. He flicked his finger upon his armor and it responded with a ring of metal.

_Oh my god this is so badass._

_"Please make three gear selections."_

As soon as the female voice finished, areas of the grids slid open to make way for the rising dark green racks that appeared. They locked into place with a soft click and Ray could see hundreds upon hundreds of weapons and shields on display.

_Okay, this is pretty cool too,_ Ray thought, unable to contain his excitement.

He lifted the closest weapon, a short sword, and felt its weight in his hands and the roughness of its leather grip. It was incredible. It felt so real, and he could even feel the coolness seep through his gloves and settle into his hands from running them over the blade. He tested some other weapons: axes, halberds, pikes, scimitars, spears, broadswords, shurikens, maces, katanas, shields, bows, hell, even nunchucks. Each one had its own balance of weight, grip, and size for any range of individuals.

Ray stopped himself as he happened upon a rack of katanas. One of the swords caught his eye and he gently lifted it, one hand on the pommel, and the other settled on the flat of the blade with his fingertips. He estimated that the blade itself must have been a little over two feet in length, a pretty typical size for samurai swords. Ray extended his right arm and held the sword parallel to the ground to test its weight. He nodded with satisfaction as his arm began to strain, but did not tremble from the weight. A fine weight indeed. Nice balance.

The hilt of the sword danced through his fingertips and the blade made majestic, whirling arcs, cutting through the air smoothly from the sword's fine craftsmanship. It did not falter in its course and it obeyed Ray's will with no flaws to interrupt its cutting motions.

Satisfied, Ray retrieved the blade's scabbard. He slid the blade into its home and slung the weapon over his back.

The next few racks he ignored. He did not want another primary weapon. Instead, he searched for a shorter, lighter weapon for his secondary.

As he scoured the remaining racks, he happened upon a strange gadget comprised of black leather that attached to the wrist. He approached it curiously and also noticed upon closer inspection a web of leather straps with a small switch between two of them with a wire that extended to the bulk of the leather. A metal compartment was attached to the underside with another small lever with a clear path behind it where it could be pulled back.

He decided to try on the leather gadget and he slid his hand through it easily. He noticed that the web of thin leather straps fit between his fingers and the switch was just within reach of his thumb. He pulled the buckle so it fit tightly on his wrist. Flexing his fingers was actually rather easy and his fingers were not impeded in the least.

Ray drew his thumb back and flicked the switch and, to his surprise, a hidden blade appeared from the metal compartment on the underside of his wrist.

Ray let out a laugh as he realized what he had just discovered, "A hidden blade," he said out loud between chuckles, "This is some Assassins Creed stuff right here."

There was no question about it; he was definitely going to keep this. It would take quite a bit of practice to make it a viable weapon in an engagement, but it was a weapon that he figured would really pay off in the long run.

His final weapon was a quick choice, a short scimitar that he could attach to his waste for quick access. The hilt was about the width of his hand. It would be a rather simple one-handed weapon.

He returned to the glowing circle and the female voice resounded through the grid space once again.

_"Please wait. Your Puzzle and Dragons Personal Database is being submitted."_

As soon as her last word was spoken, Ray's free wrist began to glow. Lines of light shifted over various places and seemed to be etching the database like an artist would sketch a drawing. When the glow had taken a specific shape, it exploded in a puff of light dust.

Attached to Ray's wrist was a teal, banded device with three slots on its underside. A few flat, faded buttons ran along its surface. It reached halfway to his elbow and it almost seemed like it was embedded into his skin.

_"Your personal database has completed updates and transferred. Access your device to view inventory, analyze the world map, highlight specific locations, organize your monster box, manage your team, and more. Prepare for transfer to Departure Tower."_

Ray felt his body begin to lighten and he vanished in a pillar that connected him to the data stream.


	7. Chapter 5- Departure

**A/N: Sooooooo, yeah...I really have no announcements to make this time I guess...Well, here it is! Yay! :D**

**And a big thank you to everyone who reviewed some of the previous chapters. It means a whole lot to me. I can't thank some of you personally through the site since some were from guests and the site wouldn't allow me to reply to some reviews. So thank you very much for your reviews!**

**I guess I did have something to say. Oh well. Enjoy!**

**Oh! And a quick definition of a term that fandom blind readers might not know:**

**_Skyfall:_ When playing match-three puzzle games, orbs drop down from an unseen area that is above and outside the board where you match the orbs. Every once-in-a-while, these orbs that drop from above can make more combinations that increase your number of combos. Skyfall drops are purely based on luck and just happen to drop where a combo can take place. Some Players argue that there is an algorithm in certain games that can be discovered to actually plan skyfalls strategically. However, this is only taken now as speculation. **

* * *

><p><em>"...I can embrace my compromisesor organize my towering lies/quelling the trifles of life/while embracing this purposeful strife/(Shout it out)/We'll make it there I'm sure/(Sacrifice)/For me you are the cure/For you I'll pay the price..." -lines from the Puzzle and Dragons "World" game opening theme (sung by Rina Nakamura and Keith Aitken)_

**Chapter 5-Departure**

**The Virtual World**

**Pirugan Continent, Departure Tower**

**In-Game Timer: Day 1**

**1:37 PM **

Ray stood upon a flat, stone surface shrouded by a thick fog. The area was devoid of wind and a slight chill settled in the air.

The newly awakened warrior analyzed his surroundings cautiously. Nothing hostile seemed to be in his midst, so he relaxed himself and adjusted his pauldrons to a more comfortable position on his shoulders.

As he strode forward through the fog he came upon a square hole in the stone with a staircase leading into the darkness below. He advanced past this a few feet to scan for anything that lay beyond, but he found himself standing at the edge of the stone, gazing down through empty air. He could not discern how far down the distance was due to the fog. He decided that nothing else was to be found, so he backtracked to the staircase and descended into the dark. Ray ran his hands over the wall as he progressed down the spiral staircase and soon came upon a doorway with a faint light emanating from it.

He proceeded with a quickened pace, taking two steps at a time, and found himself in a massive room with a ceiling comprised of squares with fluorescent light from some unknown source. The walls consisted of panels of stacked stone. The construction of the walls appeared to be unstable in Ray's opinion, but perhaps its thickness attributed to its ability to support the unyielding weight of the ceiling above.

The sound of Ray's leather boots padded silently, preventing his footfalls from echoing throughout the empty room. He drew his katana from the scabbard on his back slowly to avoid making any sudden or threatening movements. It was a large room, and there was not a single enemy to be found. This didn't feel normal. Open spaces were typically a source for conflict in games, providing area for the Player to maneuver and for the insertion of multiple enemies large and small, especially large.

As he crept forward, a dark oval shape began to form from the darkness where the boxes of light on the ceiling ended. He lowered himself and leveled his sword parallel with the ground and brought the hilt level with his eyes. His elbows evened out as the shape drew closer. Just as he was about to shift his feet, a small white creature in half an egg shell floated in front of him.

It had small wings on its back that kept it afloat and two small paw-like hands resting over the shell where its belly should have been. The white monster looked like a child's plush toy, nestled comfortably in the shell. A bright yellow star was etched into the front of the shell. It couldn't have been much larger than the size of a basketball.

"A tamadra," Ray breathed with amazement.

It smiled cutely at Ray and hovered near his face. Ray reached out with a bit of hesitation, but the tamadra made no signs of moving. He rested his hand on the monster's head and it snuggled against his palm happily and made a soft purring sound like a cat. It seemed to sense that Ray was not a threat.

_I'm patting a tamadra. I'm petting a monster!_ Ray thought with wonder.

Ray became so entranced by this wonderful moment that he failed to notice a hulking figure approaching his blind side. The tamadra spotted it first, its eyes widened fearfully and it grabbed Ray's arm, urging him to follow. He took the time to glance over his shoulder to see a massive blood-red figure dragging its massive feet along the stone. A wooden club scraped along the floor behind it, held by a massive hand riddled with spikes on the knuckles. One of its arms was encased in sharply edged armor with a curved blade protruding at the elbow. Its lower jaw overlapped its upper lip and two long fangs snaked along its mouth. Its eyes were a darkened yellow, but Ray could tell exactly where it was looking as a cloudy outer membrane shifted in direction.

The creature straightened itself and heaved its shoulders back, letting out a terrifying roar that echoed throughout the dungeon and showered the floor with its putrid saliva.

Ray and the tamadra drew back instinctively from the monster as it took another intimidating step forward.

_Holy shit! _Ray thought with a mixture of pure amazement and a touch of fear.

He couldn't believe how real the monster was. He was even more amazed by the fact that his own senses confirmed this supposed realness. Ray could smell its rancid breath, feel the ground shake as the monster strode forward, and he could hear the distinct cracking of the stone. The physical aspects of the monster were also astounding: the slight wrinkles in its facial features, the bending of its toes as they planted on the ground, and the visible retractions of its muscles; all of it was incredibly detailed.

A familiar voice interrupted his racing thoughts and seemed to emanate from the walls. It was the same mechanical female voice from before.

"_This is a final message for the Player, Ray Andylon. Welcome to the Departure Tower. The battle tutorial will now commence. Upon completion of the battle tutorial, you will have access to the Pirugan Continent where you will meet your monster partner. I wish you luck on your journey."_

The end of the message was the monster's cue to charge forward. It did so recklessly, and waved the club over its head with no attempt at control. It brought the club down hard, but Ray easily anticipated the monster's strike. The monster's attacks were slow and exaggerated, but they definitely packed a heavy punch, as attested by the cracked stone floor.

Broken stone showered around Ray and his small companion. One particularly large piece of debris glanced off of Ray's shoulder, and he instinctively reached out with his arm to touch the bruised area.

His hand flinched with a moment of realization. _Pain?_

Ray ran for his life. He wanted to get as much distance between himself and the monster as possible so he could analyze it with the personal database on his wrist.

The sting in his arm was nothing he couldn't handle. In fact, judging from the size of the debris, it should have hurt a hell of a lot more. The pain in his arm almost immediately subsided, but he wasn't about to stick around to see what a direct hit from the ogre's club would feel like.

When he felt the distance was sufficient, he activated the database and a menu appeared. He immediately found a holographic symbol on the bottom left of the menu consisting of a circle and bending lines. A giant 'A' was also at its center. He ran his hand over the symbol and the circle discarded the lines and enlarged itself, taking over the menu. A line extended outwards and wrapped around the epicenter like some sort of radar. After only a few seconds, an analysis report appeared.

_Monster: Armored Dark Ogre/Attribute: Dark/Health:2,000/ATK: 150/DEF:0/Active Skill:Resolve/Active Skill: Fury_

Ray reacted just in time to avoid the ogre's next heavy attack. Its speed took Ray by surprise as he focused on the analysis. He jumped into a shoulder roll and came up into his stance with his katana at the ready.

As the ogre approached, Ray's tamadra partner floated down, its face was puffed up with a determined expression. However, Ray could see that the poor monster was trembling slightly, and its little hands were bundled up into something akin to a clenched fist.

"You're going to help me fight?" Ray asked in disbelief.

The tamadra turned to him and nodded.

_This is far too real._

Ray narrowed his eyes at the ogre that now stared down at them, its mouth was contorted into what Ray took for a sneer.

_Doesn't seem like a very fair tutorial, but screw it,_ Ray thought as he rested his hand over the slots on the underside of the database attached to his wrist.

After a few seconds, a barrier enshrouded Ray in a generously sized semicircle. Layers of faded blue light emitted from its surface, making it just barely visible. As the barrier formed, a holographic board appeared from nowhere and presented Ray with an array of scattered orbs of varying colors. He eyed the orbs: light, dark, wood, water, and fire. Next to the board of orbs was an image of the tamadra with all its stats, attributes, and skills listed. What was most interesting about the tamadra's attributes was that it encompassed all of them. This was considerably different from the first Puzzle and Dragons. On the opposite side of the board were Ray's stats: health, level, attribute, etc. Ray was surprised to see that he actually had an attribute associated with his character in the first place. He was even more puzzled as he noted the purple crescent moon symbol that appeared next to his name.

_I'm a dark attribute?_

He focused his attention back to the board and threw together a few quick three-match combinations of dark, light, and fire orbs to see what kind of effect it would have on the tamadra's attack. Monsters typically had a primary attribute (and a sub-attribute in some forms). It was incredible to think that some monsters could possibly have up to five. Perhaps it was just for the sake of the tutorial, but it was worthy of consideration nonetheless.

The tamadra dodged the ogre's clumsy attack and positioned itself next to the monster's face. It squeezed its eyes tightly shut as Ray completed the orb combinations and issued the power to it. The monster's tiny paw hands conjured a glass orb with three smaller orbs swirling around inside. The three orbs contained a flame symbol, a sun symbol, and the symbol of a crescent moon. They were red, yellow, and purple respectively. The three orbs were the same as the ones that Ray completed with his combinations.

The tamadra readied the glass orb and flung it at the ogre's face. The glass orb shattered and emitted purple, golden, and crimson beams of energy that drove in all directions, embedding themselves in the enemy's arms, legs, and any other limbs within their path. One beam even shattered the ogre's club, incinerating it in a final explosion of wood and splinters.

"Tama!" the tamadra shouted triumphantly in its high-pitched, cute voice.

It backed away instinctively as the ogre blindly grasped at its tiny adversary.

An image formed next to the tamadra on Ray's holographic screen and the ogre's health bar appeared briefly. The bar lowered and the number changed from two thousand to one thousand four hundred. The tamadra's attack was only one hundred. Ray reasoned that there was such a thing as critical hits in this world as well. Hitting the ogre in the face, along with the three combinations of orbs allowed for extra damage. He didn't know exactly how the damage system worked in this world compared to the first game, but so far it was pretty darn cool.

More orbs dropped down on his board and he decided to switch it up a bit to see how some other combinations of orbs worked with the tamadra. He put together another quick combination of water, wood, and light orbs.

As he finished, the orbs vanished and a giant red 'X' appeared over the screen and the remaining orbs faded to gray.

_What the hell?_

The tamadra's attack did not appear and it glanced back worriedly at Ray. Ray's eyes widened as the wounded ogre rose and brought back its fist to crush the poor egg monster.

"Watch out!" Ray shouted as he disengaged the barrier that surrounded him.

The tamadra didn't register his warning in time and took a glancing blow as it simply moved instinctively in any random direction. The little monster rolled along the floor and came to rest on its back. It forced itself to roll over to free its wings to take flight, but it was too late. The ogre was already upon it and lifted its foot in the air to crush the tiny creature.

As the ogre was about to bring its massive foot down, Ray leaped in, katana drawn, and sliced at the beast's achilles heel. He also took the opportunity to whirl about and stab into the top of the monster's foot.

The ogre howled in pain and fell on its rear end grasping its foot.

Ray rushed over to the tamadra and knelt beside it protectively.

"You okay bud?" Ray asked.

Ray noticed that the star on the tamadra's shell was scuffed with a gray line cutting across it.

Ray shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry. Your shell got messed up. I forgot that the board locks up at intervals."

The tamadra righted itself and tested its wings a few times before taking flight. It rested on Ray's shoulder and patted him on the head.

Ray was about to respond, but stopped himself as a thought dawned on him. He was communicating with a monster in this virtual world. The creature understood him and responded just like any other individual in the real world might. If this little tamadra creature had this ability, then what would it be like when he met the other monsters, especially the ones that assumed a human form? His excitement returned at an almost frightening level. After all, this new world was what he always wanted. What he always dreamed of.

He shook himself from his reverie and turned back to his little comrade. "Well pal, looks like its time to double-team this freak."

The tamadra narrowed its eyes at the ogre and beat its paws together.

Ray's personal database beeped and he glanced down to see that the board was now ready. The previously matched orbs emitted their energy and the tamadra conjured another glass ball with the swirling orb symbols inside.

Ray considered returning to puzzle mode to solve another board, but he discarded the thought almost immediately in favor of fighting alongside his new friend.

He silenced the alert on the database and nodded to the tamadra. "Ready bud?"

The tamadra returned the nod with renewed vigor upon seeing that Ray had opted to stand alongside it in the engagement.

"Let's do this!" Ray shouted.

They charged at the wounded ogre and brought their weapons to bear.

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington<strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**Real World Time- 12:02 PM**

Thomas Malkin sat back in his seat lazily as another corporate individual ascended the stairs leading up to the podium on the stage. This new person, wearing a typical formal sports coat, shook hands with the previous speaker and made his way to the podium to deliver his own speech. He settled himself at the podium and opened with a similar line that mirrored the rest of the speeches.

Malkin already found himself lacking interest. The speaker's words were already becoming muffled, and the prominent whispers of the audience contrasted to create an unpleasant hum of noise. He ran a hand over his buzzed, graying hair just for the sake of the movement. As the speech continued, he moved to his stubble of a beard instead. He had always been rather fidgety, but the sheer boredom was getting to him, and he found that the twitch of his leg was unsatisfactory as a distraction. The persistent headache that had settled in from the early morning still remained no matter how many pills he forced down.

He took a sip of his wine and smacked his lips together to mask the lingering, bitter taste. Wine had never been his beverage of choice, but he drank it slowly for the sake of appearance.

The hum of noise subsided as a young man in similar formal attire collapsed into the seat next to Malkin. The two men might as well have been complete opposites when it came to appearance. The young man's hair was black and thick with brown eyes filled with energy. He also wasn't yet developing the bit of beer gut that Malkin had begun to nurture over the years.

What brought these two individuals together was not based off of physical appearance. Their similarities involved ambition and a constant strive for improvement. It also helped that they both worked hand in hand with a massive collaboration for the lofty virtual project that was currently underway.

The young man sat there for a moment pretending to listen to the speech before he spoke.

"So, did I miss anything?" he asked simply, already knowing the answer.

Malkin shrugged. "Not sure. Think this guy works for virtual security."

The young man smiled. "You don't seem too worried. They'll be the guys monitoring the AI you provided."

This comment didn't seem to pique Malkin's interest in the least. "That so? Doesn't matter really. As long as they took care of their end prior to Player entry, my AI won't be a problem."

"You sure seem confident."

"Lo is perfect. Never had any problems with her. As long as the Gamemaster and his subordinates follow the guidelines I laid out, then I foresee no problems."

The young man found it amusing how Malkin spoke of his AI. It was as if he saw the intelligent construct as an actual human being, even referring to her by name.

The man took a sip of his wine and frowned deeply at the drink in disgust. Malkin allowed himself a wry grin. Even though their difference in age spanned several decades, he found that this boy was someone he could get along with given their similar tastes.

The young man was Christopher Alsheimer, CEO of World Virtual Visions. He was one of those boy wonders who entered college when he should have been in his sophomore year of high school; the type of boy who corrected the computer instructor on how to better organize programming code, or how to correct any problems with the coding outright. He took daring actions for the sake of curiosity in his younger years, entering college campuses and sneaking into buildings so he could work on his virtual programs. A kid like him wasn't going to have the advanced software needed on his home desktop to complete his ambitious projects. He probably could have developed a method to pirate the software off the internet, but sometimes it came through incomplete, and it was difficult to receive necessary updates with stolen software. Besides, he was the adventurous type and actually reveled in the excitement of potentially being caught.

He founded World Virtual Visions at the age of twenty-four and developed the virtual gear necessary to operate Puzzle and Dragons _World_ shortly after.

Malkin had to admire a kid who came from nothing; someone who built himself to where he was today in such a short time. He may have been a genius, but it wasn't as if he didn't work to reach his position.

The two men noticed that the next speech had concluded and a familiar executive was now approaching the podium. The man adjusted his wide spectacles and shuffled some unseen papers. His tie was slightly crumpled and one of his secretaries had done a poor job of adjusting his collar.

Malkin sighed heavily. "And here we go. Successor to the great Shinji Takamura. What a joke."

Malkin took another sip of his wine. He was not nearly buzzed enough for the speech he was about to hear.

Alsheimer mimicked his friend's exasperation and propped his elbow on the metal arm of his chair. "Kurosaki isn't all that bad I suppose. I mean, he isn't Takamura sure, but who is?"

Malkin admired his optimism, but the boy was green in this department. Alsheimer had been in the business world for only a few years where he had spent decades.

Malkin was aware of the kind of genius that Takamura had been. The kind of genius who rivaled, or, more accurately, surpassed him. Kurosaki was another story. How he had managed to attain Takamura's position was beyond Malkin's understanding. The guy was a joke, a complete sham. He was nothing more than a figurehead in the whole scheme of things. His position was a title, not a symbol of competence.

Without Takamura, the advanced virtual world wouldn't have existed in the first place. He was the creator of the universal code that allowed the world to operate itself without any interference from the outside. And the denizens of the virtual world operated separately from this system with their own free will. That was Takamura's crowning achievement: a world that operated just as the real world did with individuals that could forge their own destinies and shape the world.

The virtual world project functioned with three crucial components. Takamura was the one who had developed the code that runs within the virtual world and supports its denizens. Alsheimer's virtual technology provides Players with access to Puzzle and Dragons "World." Malkin's AI regulates the world and implements necessary adjustments with any potential discrepancies along with data collection. They were "The Big Three" corporations of the virtual world: Takamura Programming Development (TPD), World Virtual Visions (WVV), and Future Artificial Networking (FAN).

They were like the three musketeers, but now one of the musketeers was gone.

"Lung cancer right?" Alsheimer asked.

Malkin nodded and spoke with a grim tone, "Yeah. Docs said he had six months to live. And what happens? He dies in three weeks. In this day and age how in the hell do you mess that up?"

"I'm sure Takamura would've appointed a more competent successor if he had known that."

"Who knows? Takamura was so absorbed in his work that I guess he didn't really think about it. After all, he was expecting to see his world before he went."

Alsheimer nodded at this with sympathy for Takamura. "A damn shame."

Kurosaki concluded his speech and stepped down to allow yet another individual to take the stand. It was the Gamemaster. His appearance was the indication that the corporate opening ceremony was now reaching its end.

"I am pleased to announce ladies and gentleman that every single Player has now entered the virtual world. Each entry went smoothly and there are no issues to report."

The crowd erupted into huge applause, and even Malkin and Alsheimer joined in.

"The developers and designers from Gungho would like to especially thank Thomas Malkin of Future Artificial Networking and Christopher Alsheimer of World Virtual Visions for providing the virtual gear and AI that made this world possible. Thank you very much for your contributions to this technological breakthrough."

More applause followed. Malkin and Alsheimer gave a quick wave as all eyes were directed upon them. Malkin could tell that Alsheimer was slightly uneasy being put in the spotlight. The kid would get used to it with his future successes.

As the Gamemaster continued his speech, the man named Kurosaki, who had made his speech prior, approached Malkin and Alsheimer's table and greeted them with a deep bow. He gestured to one of the seats politely.

"May I have a seat?" he asked.

Malkin nodded. "By all means."

Malkin did well to hide the irritation from his curt response.

Kurosaki took his seat and nodded to each of them in turn. He seemed to have just noticed that his collar was popped up and readjusted it to the best of his ability before finally speaking.

"I just wanted to thank both of you gentleman for agreeing to provide your assistance for this massive undertaking."

He gave another quick bow from his seat before continuing. "As I'm sure you are both fully aware, I am not Takamura, and never will be Takamura. But I assure you that the company's ambitions have not wavered in the slightest. I owe Takamura at least that much for how well he has treated me."

Alsheimer and Malkin glanced at each other, but made no indication of replying to this statement.

Kurosaki took this as a sign to continue. "That being said, there has been a rather sizable hiccup in the PADW project. I would like to discuss this with you gentleman at the earliest possible convenience."

Alsheimer spoke first, "Why don't we discuss it now if it is such a problem?"

Kurosaki glanced around the room as if he thought someone might be eavesdropping on their conversation.

"To put it simply, this information is above nearly everyone's paygrade who is involved with this project. We do not need to necessarily deal with this issue immediately, but I would prefer we address it at the earliest possible convenience."

Malkin cocked an eyebrow at this. "Keeping this all on the hush-hush? Must be pretty serious." He took another sip of his wine out of habit. "I need to provide a few more last-minute instructions to the game operators concerning the handling of my AI. Other than that, I am pretty much free."

Alsheimer added, "I have to get my guys set up on the data link with Malkin's AI before the game officially takes off after the tutorials. I will be free as well afterward."

"That is absolutely fine," Kurosaki said with relief.

He thanked the two men once more and hurriedly headed off to speak with another group of individuals at a different table.

Malkin and Alsheimer exchanged a concerned look that they didn't want to make apparent in Kurosaki's presence.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Departure Tower**

**Game Timer: Day 1**

**2:15 PM **

The remaining trials of the Departure Tower proved to be far more manageable than the introductory battle with the dark ogre. Ray and his new companion took their time testing different abilities and combinations with orbs and with their team coordination. A nice skyfall of orbs had provided the tamadra with combinations of all five attributes, and the glass ball that resulted converged with the tamadra, giving it the ability to phase through enemy attacks for a short time. Even previously weak monsters in the original Puzzle and Dragons now held hidden power. With the help of Players, monsters could unlock their true potential.

The duo exited the tower full of energy and high spirits. Ray shielded his eyes from the blazing sun that pierced through the thin clouds. The fog had lifted, and the chill was replaced by a cool, comfortable breeze.

A mountain pass lay before them and winded downwards with rocks strewn along a dirt path.

Ray began his descent, but halted when he noticed that his companion did not follow. The tamadra simply floated there still smiling.

"What's the matter?" Ray approached the tamadra with a touch of concern in his voice.

His question was answered by a small spray of data particles that floated from the base of the tamadra's shell. The base of the shell began to disappear.

"Wait, no-" Ray started. He realized what was happening. The tamadra was disappearing.

The tamadra flew next to Ray and patted him on the head. The monster didn't seem concerned, which put Ray at ease. Still, he was sad to see the monster go. They had bonded in the tower together, and Ray was understandably reluctant to let the little guy go.

Ray forced his worry aside with the tamadra's assurances. He smiled and patted the tamadra in return. It closed its eyes happily at Ray's touch. His hand didn't leave the small creature's head until it had completely disappeared. Its data particles drifted away on the wind.

_Sure hope I see you again pal._

He knew that the tamadra wasn't gone from the world. Maybe one day he would meet it again.

Ray started down the path. As he carefully picked his way through the rocks he took the time to run his hand over the dirt. He clasped the dirt in his hands and let it fall from between his fingers. It felt just like, well, dirt. The realness of the world still amazed him. It would definitely take some getting used to.

It wasn't long before the pass opened up to flat land that extended to a cliff on all sides. He could see for miles around. To his left was an expanse of forest that extended as far as the eye could see. To his right, the mountain range continued and lowered its jagged body into a distant lake.

Ray's focus was then held by the individual who sat a short way from where he was standing. A young woman sat upon an outcropping of rock, her arms crossed and resting on the pole of a halberd, the blade driven into the ground. Her elegant red and gold Chinese dress and long, ponytailed light brown hair blew in the wind. Her rainbow wings were folded behind her, their gold armor shining under the sun.

The sight of her near the edge of the cliff with the blue sky behind her was absolutely mesmerizing. Ray found himself lost for words.

She smiled. "It's nice to finally meet you Ray."


	8. Chapter 6- The Abyssal

**A/N: A big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave a review on this story. I can't thank all of you personally through PM since sometimes there is no option available, but thank you so much. This chapter is a little late, but a few more introductions are in order. **

**A definition for those who are fandom blind:**

**NPC (non-playable character)- this is typically a character that interacts with a player in a video game. They usually provide quests or give out valuable bits of information about the world. They are a character not assumed by the actual player. Obviously this world of Puzzle and Dragons is much more advanced though.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"<em>What is it that makes us real? Well, define 'real.'" -Anonymous<em>

**Chapter 6-The Abyssal**

**The Virtual World**

**Pirugan Continent, Castle of Satan**

**In-game Timer: Day 1**

**1:30 PM**

The Divine Queen Hera strode down the long, dank hallway completely at ease, even with the tendrils of darkness that crept between the cracks of the obsidian hallway. This was the deepest she had ever been in the castle, and the malevolent presence that she was warned of that resided in the deepest bowels was near. Its aura was heavy, and the cold touch of the dark tendrils prodded her lavender skin as if testing her now wavering composure.

She didn't want to admit it to herself, but this unknown, otherworldly being exuded a power that was beyond even her understanding. This realization suddenly brought forth an alien feeling known as apprehension. She felt her air of calm begin to slip away. It was irritating how quickly one's emotions could transform in the face of the unknown.

After what seemed like an eternity, the hallway widened substantially, and Hera found herself standing before a massive wall of stone native to the abyss. It was stone that did not belong in this world, but it was here, thanks to the dark force that lurked just beyond.

Hera found that her black caricthmian armor was uncomfortable, and she worked her hands over the wrist and shin guards to readjust them. Her smooth black-scaled tail slid stiffly along the floor, and the body armor she wore also felt too tight, but this part was nothing really new. It was difficult to find armor in this world that actually fit properly to her alluring figure.

She removed her elaborate circlet from her head and let it vanish from her hands. She then let her brunette and red hair flow down its full length to her waist. Her long, elongated horns actually managed to make her appearance even more divine and seductive.

She would not allow herself to enter the chamber beyond without full control over her emotions.

And she now knew why her armor was so uncomfortable. She noticed the glimmer of sweat on her arms and cursed herself for her body's honesty. There was nothing to be done. Sitting and brooding would only serve to make her more uneasy.

With that realization, she placed her hand at the very center of the wall, and a thin vertical line appeared that extended to the floor and ceiling. Without further prompting, the two separate slabs of rock opened inward with a groan of resistance to plunge Hera into an even deeper darkness.

Hera hesitated before taking that first step into the chamber. The bit of light from the hallway was unable to pierce the darkness beyond.

Hera willed herself forward, stepped onto the unseen floor, and proceeded into the consuming darkness. The air was silent. Even Hera's footsteps were unheard as she strode forward with her controlled, even pace. The typical rustling of fabric under her metal armor that she was accustomed to was also absent. It was as if the world had been put on mute and sense of sound had been nullified, deafening the world.

As she considered this thought, a coldness seemed to close in, and she felt her body stiffen against her will. The cold was fleeting, but the soreness in her limbs that followed convinced her that it was more than just a slight chill.

As she stepped forward, the scraping of her metal heels could now be heard. Her breathing turned out to be much heavier than she expected as sound returned to the world. At first she thought her breathing mirrored her apprehension, but it was due more to the fact that the air in the chamber was now heavier. Much heavier.

Before she even had time to consider what had been done to her body, the darkness opened up before her and admitted her into another hidden chamber that glowed with a dim red light. The source of the light emitted from a small orb at the center of the room that pulsed outwards. Crimson rings swirled around it, and they appeared to be the energy source that maintained the light's glow.

Hundreds upon hundreds of stalagmites and stalactites thrust from the ground and ceiling, disappearing into the darkness beyond that the orb of light could not penetrate. Flat stone slabs protruded from all areas of the chamber around the spikes of rock. Dust swirled around in random points in the room from an unseen wind that shouldn't have existed in such a place sealed from the outside world.

Hera noticed a group of monsters, her comrades, sitting around the red orb. They leaned against the stalagmites or sat upon the flat stone slabs silently.

She first noticed Satan's massive form bent over the glowing orb. One of his hands rested open with trails of energy seeping from it, feeding the orb.

The second individual was a knight in heavy black armor who was busying himself as he tended to a long broadsword. He sat silently as his hand moved methodically up and down the sword. A light blue hue emanated from the blade as he continued to perfect his practice of reinforcement.

Sitting behind the knight on one of the jutting stone slabs was a female with folded, dark raven-like wings. Her black hair hung low to the small of her back with an elaborate, violet circlet resting on her head. The bright flowers that were clipped to her hair on either side of her head contrasted strangely with the burgundy armor she wore. Her legs were crossed, wearing stockings of armored fabric; and her arms, also covered in multi-layered metal, rested on her knees in a stance that made her boredom obvious. Her scythe was laid on the ground with the utmost care.

Standing next to Satan was the final individual. Hera was aware that he was male, but the bone mask-of-a-face made it difficult to tell, especially with the dark hood pulled up over his head. His armor was sharp and dangerous; it seemed like the armor was practically a part of his own body. His pauldrons were forged into the shape of dragon feet and his full multi-layered, caricthmian armor was smooth where the spikes ended. It was armor that was crafted by his own hands. His elaborate cloak covered most of the armor. Propped up in one of his hands was an enormous scythe with three intricate, and disturbingly realistic, dog heads where the blade of the scythe began. Two more curved blades extended upwards out of the two dog mouths to either side of the central blade. The eyes of the metal Cerberus glowed a deep yellow like a brimming fire.

What made Hera uneasy about him was the fact that she could not read his face. The hint of a mouth could be seen, but just barely since his cloak was pulled up over the lower half of his bone face (she was unsure if what he wore was a mask or if it was his actual face). His eyes were also unreadable. They were like the eyes of a beast; perhaps those of an ice wolf, with vertically thin pupils. The smaller eye in his forehead was forever unmoving, and Hera wondered if it actually observed anything. Perhaps it did, but she had never seen it glance in any direction. The black, curved ink designs around his eyes made their contrasting crystal blue color even more prominent.

Only one of her comrades came down to greet her as she approached the glowing orb. The woman with the raven wings dropped the few feet to the ground from the rock slab. She walked up to Hera and greeted her with a nod.

"It's good to see you Hera," she said in her sweet voice. There was a hint of apprehension in her tone that Hera could pick out.

"It is good to see you too Persephone," Hera replied. Her awareness of Persephone's uneasiness was enough of a reminder to mask her own.

The deep voice of Satan interrupted all of their thoughts. "Everyone is now present."

Persephone addressed the cloaked individual next to Satan with surprise, "What is he talking about Hades? There are so few of us here."

The one named Hades shook his head. "Indeed. Many of us are too far scattered throughout the continent to assemble. A few who were once among us have been removed from our covenant as well."

Hera smirked. "I'm guessing Beelzebub is one of them?"

She dismissed the fact that they had neglected to inform her about these recent events. They would get their scolding later.

"He was a liability. My only regret is that I was unable to crush his twisted brain," Satan scoffed, "Sick and demented little runt."

As Satan finished his sentence, the orb beneath his hand began to visibly dim. The void around them drew closer and melded into the stone. Hera felt the same presence from before. The dark tendrils now slithered along the stone and combined to create an even deeper darkness. The last of the inky black merged, and all around them the cavern vanished. The red orb only illuminated the individuals who stood around it.

A disembodied, mechanical voice resounded in the darkness, _"I am pleased that all of you were able to convene at this critical hour." _The voice seemed to be coming from all around them. It felt as if it was intruding upon their minds.

The dark knight who was reinforcing his sword stopped his work and rose to his feet. Hera was unable to see him camouflaged in the darkness, and she jumped in surprise as he appeared to join them in the circle. She let out a low curse as she composed herself. The dark knight shrugged an apology, even though he was not aware of what he had done to Hera's nerves.

Satan waved one of his six hands dismissively at the darkness. "Enough with these formalities Abyssal. Why did you summon us?"

"Best make it quick," Hades added, folding his arms over his chest impatiently. "The Players will be arriving at their Departure Towers. Time is short."

The darkness seemed to shift with irritation at their ill-mannered tone. It wasn't that this shift was seen, but felt.

Hera and Persephone glanced at each other uneasily.

_"Very well,"_ the Abyssal responded after a brief silence, _"I have summoned you all here to provide information regarding the next few months that follow this recent Reversion."_

Hera, despite herself, was now leaning forward expectantly awaiting the Abyssal's next words. Persephone mimicked her movement.

Hades, Satan, and the black knight stood silent and expectant.

_"I will no longer be able to assist you with intelligence concerning your enemies' whereabouts," _the Abyssal continued.

Satan cursed under his breath at this news and Hades simply shook his head. They had all expected this eventually. The very existence of The Reversion displayed the power of the ones who created the world. The monsters' loss of power was another signal that indicated their lack of control. It was an inevitability that they had all been secretly denying up until this moment.

Persephone spoke, "So the Creators have control of everything now? Is that it?" she asked.

The rest of them stared into the darkness for confirmation. The Abyssal's response was completely unexpected.

_"The Creators do not necessarily have control of this world."_

No one was able to conceal their shock at this statement. For those whose faces were concealed, their shift in stance was more than enough to reveal their surprise.

"What do you mean?" Hera asked.

_"The Reversion was not necessarily enacted by the current Creators. In actuality, The Reversion was set to occur at a certain time by a very 'specific' Creator, one who is now deceased. It is set to revert all monsters back to their original states of power when they were brought to the world. This Reversion was created to only occur once. It is the final preparation for the coming of the Players."_

Hera considered the words of the Abyssal for a moment. If what the Abyssal said was true, then The Reversion would not occur again. Also, the Creators were not actually in control of the world. What did that mean? If they were able to create something like The Reversion, then how were they not in control?

"I am not quite sure what you mean," Hera stated as she gathered her thoughts. The others waited for her to ask the question that was all on their minds.

"You say that the work of The Reversion was not done by the Creators, yet you say that one _specific_ Creator is the cause of it. So what's to stop the other Creators from making another one?"

The Abyssal answered immediately, _"It is because the other Creators do not know how to create another Reversion."_

Hera stared blankly into the darkness. She observed every one of her comrades and noticed the same stillness from all of them. It was a time for contemplation. They had all been painstakingly forming plans around the highly likely possibility that the Creators were always watching them, always waiting to intervene. One wrong move and the Creators would have the power to reverse not only their power, but perhaps the world, or even time and space. It seemed as if most of what they had learned about the world of the Creators was false.

The Abyssal interrupted their thoughts. _"In conclusion, this world is now out of the control of the Creators. The denizens of this world are considered separate from their influence. The Creators have limited power, and are only able to regulate the one who is truly in control of this world."_

Hades asked the pertinent question, "If they aren't in control, then who is?"

The Abyssal answered, _"My sister, Lo."_

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest**

**Game Timer: Day 1**

**2:18 PM**

Ray and Leilan stood at the edge of the cliff that overlooked Demeter Forest. The forest was a sea of green that extended far beyond Ray's range of sight.

The introductions between the two companions had been awkward to say the least. After Leilan's greeting, Ray had stood their completely dumbfounded by not just her beauty, but her matter-of-fact tone. It had taken him nearly a half minute to come up with a response. His words had come out as a cluster of stutters that made him sound like he was speaking a different language. That's how it sounded to him at least. He couldn't help but be embarrassed by his ridiculous response.

Ray squatted at the edge of the cliff and gazed down into the forest. He guessed that it was at least a thirty meter fall. There was no way any normal human could possibly make the drop without injury.

"Can you make this drop?" Leilan asked as if she had read his mind.

Ray examined the cliff face before answering her. There seemed to be a number of handholds from jutting rock and deep grooves that seemed to have a good bit of friction for his fingers to get a decent grip on.

"I can probably make the climb down," Ray responded.

As Ray turned to make his way down the cliff, Leilan placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. He glanced up in confusion and saw that Leilan's wings were now fully extended outward. A hint of a grin was on her face.

"I was just kidding," she chuckled softly. "I can fly you down."

Ray sighed and shook his head. Of course, it should have been obvious. He knew he wasn't thinking clearly. Everything that was going on, this amazingly real world and this amazingly real person were getting to his head.

But Leilan wasn't even a person. She may have looked like one, save for the wings on her back, but she was a monster.

Ray turned reluctantly and allowed Leilan to grab him under the arms. She tested her grip and his weight before she began beating her wings to lift them from the cliff. Ray was surprised by how easily she took to the sky with the combined weight of his armor and person.

Leilan glided a short ways until she found a break in the canopy. She released him a few feet off the ground and he landed easily in a half-crouch.

The grass was soft, just like in his own world.

Leilan alighted next to him and they began their journey through the forest.

* * *

><p>Ray carefully picked his way down a long descent. The terrain was deceiving, for the trees grew so that they reached only a certain distance up to the sky, creating a completely even canopy of leaves. It was as if the trees were working in unison to remain as equals so that no tree reached any higher to the sky than the others.<p>

No stone lay on the ground and no natural path was discernible.

Ray slid down the last few feet as Leilan floated to the ground beside him.

They spent most of the journey in silence. Ray found it difficult to strike up any sort of conversation. He always had a difficult time speaking to people he had just met. They were both destined to fight alongside each other without first knowing about the other. Ray found it easier to examine his surroundings and to take in the environment.

The forest was eerily silent. Ray noticed that during the whole trip through the forest, there was not a single sign of wildlife or any traces of prints or disturbed foliage to indicate that any sort of living creature had passed through.

Ray decided to break the silence by commenting on this observation. "This forest seems way too quiet," Ray said.

Leilan regarded him curiously as he continued.

"It feels like nothing has passed through here in quite some time. Why is that?" Ray figured that his partner might hold the answers for him. After all, it was her world.

But how long had she actually been in this world?

"This part of the forest heals itself," Leilan answered. "It is able to revert back to its original state at an amazing rate. Look." She gestured to the grass behind them.

She was right. The crushed grass that was previously beneath their feet was righting itself and pointed straight up once again. None of the blades of grass bent in any direction. All of them pointed straight for the canopy.

There were so many questions that Ray wanted to ask Leilan. But the sheer number of them couldn't possibly be answered in the span of a day. He decided that he would stick with the more pertinent questions for the time being and address the other ones later as the situations presented themselves.

"Normally I would ask someone I just met the typical introductory questions," Ray finally continued after a short time. Breaking his uneasiness with a bit of humor seemed appropriate. "Y'know, what your favorite hobby is, what colors you like, favorite outdoor activity, stuff like that."

Ray was about to continue until Leilan interrupted him. "You could ask. But I probably won't have an answer for most of them."

Ray smiled. "Yeah, for some reason I kind of figured."

Before he could draw out the conversation further, a dirt road caught his attention. He didn't actually notice it until he heard the crunch of the dirt under his feet, completely different from the soft muffling of his boots in the grass.

He noticed a long indent in the dirt that extended all the way down the road out of sight. Some sort of vehicle must have passed by. No, that wasn't right. The world he was in now didn't have the advanced technology of his own world. This world was based on magic. The tracks must have been from a wagon perhaps, judging from the fact that the tracks were in a pair.

Leilan looked up and down the road silently. She seemed to be weighing their options.

"If we head north, we will reach the town of Millshore," Leilan said. "To the south is the far base of the Bakke Mountains. I suggest that we head into town first. It will be evening by the time we reach the mountains, and there are too many taur demons prowling the area at that time."

Ray nodded. "Alright. You know this world better than I do. Let's head north then."

He was eager to enter some dungeons. The fast pace and thrill of the battles in the Departure Tower had him itching for combat. But it was foolish to enter territory without any experience and at such a low level.

All Players and monsters started at level one upon entering the world. As they completed dungeons and quests they would become stronger. Ray didn't want other Players getting the jump on him in terms of power, but perhaps he could gain an advantage through knowledge instead.

* * *

><p>Leilan's words proved to be true, and the sun began to set faster than Ray had anticipated. He could make out faint traces of the moons in the sky. Having more than one moon was going to take some getting used to, and he did a double-take when he first noticed the two spheres in the sky nearly touching each other in orbit. He wondered what effect two moons could have on a world. When a third moon appeared to take the place of the sun on the horizon it didn't really surprise him.<p>

Leilan and Ray walked in silence down the dirt road.

It was a rather unique situation; two individuals who knew nothing about the other put together and expected to fight alongside one another, holding the fate of the other in his/her hands. Success didn't only depend upon how well they worked together. Trust was another issue, and Ray found it strange that he would have to address this if they were to work together as a team. In a game, a Player was the dominant force that determined how the game would progress. And if things fell apart, then it was all on the Player. Maybe the Player gave a partner the wrong choice from a list of commands, or maybe the Player took on a quest that was beyond his/her level.

In this world there were an infinite number of choices. An infinite number of situations and possibilities.

Ray bumped into Leilan's outstretched arm. Her touch woke him from his reverie and he instinctively drew back.

Leilan motioned for him to follow her to the side of the road. Ray obeyed and they took cover in some bushes.

When they were safely concealed, she cocked her head in the direction they were headed. Ray squinted his eyes to focus on the road and didn't notice anything at first, but after a few more seconds, he could make out what appeared to be a wagon and a group of individuals walking beside it. Actually, there was more than one wagon. Ray counted about four, along with a pair of guards standing to the sides and rear of each wagon. Some of the guards rode on the horses that pulled the wagons. Gray tarps covered their bulky cargo.

One individual rode upon an armored white horse leading the caravan, carefully taking in the surrounding forest for any signs of hostiles. The helmet this person wore concealed his/her face, and a straight horizontal line was left for the eyes.

Their gray armor was worn and damaged. Some of them were bandaged and supported injured limbs as best they could using the wagon for leverage or the scabbards of weapons.

Ray noted the crest on their body armor that consisted of two swirling lines ending like teardrops surrounding a crossed halberd and glaive.

"Soldiers of Millshore," Leilan commented.

Ray didn't take his eyes away from the approaching troops. "Friend or foe?"

"Really depends," Leilan answered, "The captain of the guard holds no love for monsters. Past conflicts in Millshore have left us with a strained relationship. The guards will be keeping a close eye on us when we enter town, but they won't interfere with us unless provoked."

Leilan rose from their cover and calmly walked out to the middle of the road. Ray joined her and assumed the same air of ease. He was content to let her take the lead.

They waited until the caravan arrived and a group of guards left their stations at the sides of the wagons and formed a defensive semicircle around the two travelers. They wielded their glaives with unsteady hands not from fear, but sheer exhaustion.

The soldier on the horse slid down and approached Ray and Leilan. The soldier did not bother to draw the broadsword on his/her back and gently pushed one of the guards aside.

"At ease," the muffled voice said.

The guards lowered their weapons, but they made sure the blades settled lightly on the dirt. The dirt would take some of the strain off their arms, but they would be prepared.

The soldier, who Ray assumed was the leader, removed the helmet.

The soldier was female with long blonde hair that was now free to flow to her lower back. Her hazel eyes were heavy, but there was an intensity that remained. She was good looking despite her hard features. Ray figured she was somewhere in her late twenties, but her manner and presence suggested a mind exceeding that of those with more years for wisdom.

Her expression softened and she gave them a weary smile of greeting, but not enough to extinguish the fire in her eyes. Her relaxed stance was most likely a farce.

"A monster and a human traveling together," she said. She didn't seem surprised by the odd pairing. "I guess this means that the Players have finally descended."

Ray tilted his head in confusion. It was strange that non-playable characters were aware of the unique existence of the Players. Usually these kinds of characters were for the sole purpose of driving a story forward, acquiring information, or providing quests to the Players of the game. The fact that they had knowledge of humans outside of their own world seemed unnecessary.

"How do you know I am a Player? And how did you even know we were coming?" Ray asked.

"The keeper of this world, Lady Overlook, informed us of your coming," she answered. "It also isn't common around these parts for a human and a monster to be traveling together."

_Lo told the people of this world of our arrival? _Ray thought with surprise. He also found it strange the way she mentioned the relationship between the humans and monsters. It seemed like the two groups really did have an unhealthy relationship.

Leilan shifted the conversation towards a question concerning the caravan. "It's pretty late to be heading south isn't it? And your men don't seem to be in the highest spirits," she added as she got a good look at the soldiers' faces.

"Aye," the woman said with a tinge of concern, "We were assigned to escort this caravan to our new outpost on the south edge of Demeter Forest. Unfortunately, we had a few unexpected complications."

"Complications?" Ray pressed.

The woman nodded. "Looks like the taur demons in the area are all riled up, and they aren't the weak ones either. These taur demons hold the title of '_Hellwind_,' first evolution taurs. This is the first time I've seen them this close to Millshore."

"I did not know there was an outpost set up so close to the edge of the mountains," Leilan commented.

"That's why the outpost is so desperate for supplies," the woman continued. "It is fairly new. The area is rich in ores, but since the area is so dangerous, the outpost was built at the base of the mountain."

Ray looked at the soldiers next to the wagons. Some of them were now seated heavily on the ground. Their heavy breathing and gaunt appearances were plain. Either this woman had been pushing them hard, or the hostiles had pushed them even harder.

He now noticed the woman's thickly bandaged leg. Her leather waist armor that hung down along her thighs had mostly hidden the red stain at a distance. Upon further observation, Ray also realized that most of her weight was distributed towards her healthy leg. The woman didn't show it, but she was badly injured.

"How much further is the outpost?" Ray asked. This drew a disapproving look from Leilan. She had an idea of what the question implied.

"With our current pace, and without any other obstacles, we should be able to make it by sundown." She threw her thumb over her shoulder to the men behind her. "We may be beaten up a bit, but we haven't lost a single man on this trip. My soldiers are the real deal."

She said that, but even Ray could see that the men were reaching their limit. Some of them were still panting, and their injuries didn't amount to just a couple of cuts and bruises. He observed one man with his waist completely bandaged and three spots of red seeping through. The weapon responsible for the wound was probably something like a trident, judging from the three punctures. The many layers of wrap indicated that the wound was deep. Many of the other men were similarly treated with makeshift tourniquets and crutches.

They would be hard-pressed in a fight with so many wounded.

It was in Ray's nature to help those in need, even if it was in a game. There might even be a potential opportunity to amend the monster and human relationship, even if it was just a little. He wanted to head to the mountains as soon as possible anyway. There had to be some dungeons nearby to explore and other places of interest. The outpost would also provide a safe place to stay for the night. Heading into town could wait until later.

He turned to Leilan for confirmation. He knew that she was aware of his intentions. "What do you think Leilan? We were going to head south anyway at some point."

Leilan shook her head. "I don't think we would be very welcome at this outpost." She gestured to the soldiers. "And I don't think these men would be comfortable taking the trip with me around."

To Leilan's surprise, one of the guards in the defensive semicircle around them relaxed his weapon and rested it on his shoulder. The rest of them followed his lead, and some even rested their weapons on the ground as a sign of trust.

"Some of us don't hate monsters," the one with the glaive on his shoulder said confidently. "Monsters may have made our lives more difficult in the past, but not all of them are to blame."

Another soldier by one of the wagons spoke up angrily, "The hell is wrong with you Carther? The damn monsters just crippled us and now you want to throw our lot with them?"

"Enough! Shut your goddamm mouths!" their commander shouted before anyone else could jump in.

The rest of the men promptly went quiet. They didn't even let out a breath. It showed just how much control and respect she had over them.

She turned back to Ray and Leilan and smiled apologetically. "My apologies. There will always be ignorant fools. I have fought alongside a monster on one rare occasion. They aren't all bad. If you would like to join us, I would be happy to have two more fighters for company. We might even be able to make it to the outpost with no casualties."

Her last comment was left as a vague indication that she believed there would be further conflict. And she knew with her exhausted and wounded men, they wouldn't all make the journey.

Leilan gave Ray another look that was difficult to read. "Very well, I suppose we will join you. Just make sure that none of your men try to stab me in the back."

The woman extended a hand to Leilan who accepted it with a bit of hesitation. She then shook hands with Ray.

"My name's Irina Roche. Just call me Irina."

"Leilan."

"Ray Andylon. Just call me Ray."

Once they finished the introductions, Irina signaled to her men that their break was over. It was time to finish the hard journey.

Leilan and Ray noticed Irina and the man named Carther approach one of the wounded men. They helped him to his feet and slung his arms over their shoulders and guided him to the white horse. A few more men came over to assist them and managed to settle the man in the saddle.

Some of the injured sat on the edges of the wagon, but the cargo that they were transporting took up most of the space available.

Along the way, many of the injured men took turns riding the horses when the pain became too unbearable to continue on foot.

Irina limped alongside Leilan and Ray the rest of the trip to the outpost.

* * *

><p>The taur demons that flew overhead were the first sign of trouble. The second was the smoke that rose high over the trees in the darkening sky.<p>

Irina bid her soldiers to make haste, and they pushed themselves through the pain of their injuries at their commander's call. They readied their crossbows and searched the sky for anymore hostiles. The darkness made all of the surrounding forest a place for ambush.

Leilan launched herself into the sky above the treeline so that any potential airborne enemies would not detect their location. She was just high enough to discern the source of the black smoke. The distance couldn't have been more than a mile.

She landed at a quickened pace next to Ray who was already setting up his database so that he could have faster access to his board of orbs once they entered combat.

The caravan had sped up, but their speed only amounted to a swift walk. The wagons were just simply too cumbersome, and the injured could muster only barely enough energy to keep up. Ray wondered if the soldiers would even be able to fight once they arrived at the outpost.

After a few minutes, the dirt road disappeared and was replaced by the regenerating grass of the forest. The caravan had turned slightly east back towards the forest, and the trees left just enough room for the wagons to pass through. The edge of the Bakke Mountains was now visible as the caravan came upon a small field. The outpost stood at its edge near another short expanse of forest that led to the base of the mountains.

Its wall consisted of thick, sturdy logs lifted upright with the ends crafted to sharpened points. Platforms lined the tops of the wall inside where guards ran back and forth, shouting orders and reloading crossbows. Archery towers stood at the edge of the wall as well, and crossbowmen fired into a hoard of monsters that pressed against the gate. The monsters even attempted to climb, driving their weapons into the wood as they made their ascent.

The mass of monsters hovering above the outpost and running towards the wall left the caravan in awe. They soon noticed the source of the smoke where a fire had erupted. It was continuously being fed at the base of the western wall.

A group of red, horned monsters with reptilian tails stood to one side with a circle of winged demons wielding tridents in a defensive formation. Some of them hefted shields to deflect the arrows from the guards' crossbows as the red demons threw orbs of fire at the wall.

Another group of dark demons with wings and wielding scythes descended upon the archery towers and attempted to circumvent the wooden spikes on the ledges the crossbowmen hid behind as they loaded more bolts.

"Ready them up boys!" Irina barked. Her men immediately responded.

They tore off the tarps on the wagons to reveal long metal cylinders with considerably large diameters. They were supported by gray steel slabs that attached near the front and end with wheels embedded to the bottom. A round crank extended out of one side. They threw off more tarps to present even more similar cylinders. On some of the wagons were black heavy spheres that some of the men promptly loaded.

Cannons.

"I want the injured to man the cannons and focus on the western wall! Take out those bastards before they burn the whole place. Keep moving forward and angle them appropriately. The idiots gave us a clear line of fire away from the outpost. The rest of you, hit the front and kill every last one of them! I want two lines of three archers each to swap positions for firing and reloading. I want plenty of cover as we move in. Get to it!"

With that final command Ray and Leilan rushed forward alongside Irina and her troops.

Irina still managed to keep up, even with her injured leg. The fire in her eyes was now on full blaze.

A rush of adrenaline coursed through Ray's body. A mixture of nervousness and excitement blended in. He felt his body lighten and sync with an all too familiar twitch in his muscles that acted on his combat instincts.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Castle of Satan**

**In-game Timer: Day 1**

**7:26 PM**

The Abyssal brooded in his darkness about the monsters he had come to create an alliance with.

They were competent, but he found that some of them were not convinced of the intentions he had relayed to them. This would be a problem. He was going to need their assistance for a while if he was ever going to have a chance of accomplishing his goal.

He was sure that the one known as Hades would take the most convincing. All of them held a lack of trust, which was only natural. But Hades suspected far too much, even at this early stage in the game. If things went sour, then he would have to be disposed of first. The woman, Persephone, had a very intimate attachment to him, so she would be the next priority. The rest he was unsure of, but all in due time.

The Abyssal had decided to risk reaching out with his power to tap into the world and locate the positions of the Players. He could tell that his sister had not been given full command of the world just yet, which was a pleasant surprise.

His own Players had arrived just as the one Creator had promised. However, he sensed other Players with similar impressive potential that were not among his own.

Curious.


	9. Chapter 7- Defenses

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews on the last chapters! We are moving right along here and we begin to delve into some internal conflict. I won't keep you all away from the reading with a long note here. ****  
><strong>

**Some details for people who have no idea about video games: In games, players tend to respawn at key locations upon death. This is normal. Power is normally determined by gaining a certain amount of experience by completing quests and/or defeating enemies, which then allows a player to gain levels which improve stats such as health, strength, etc. Readers will find that this is not necessarily a key component to this world and the story goes way beyond that. **

**I greatly appreciate any and all reviews. Thanks a bunch everyone! **

* * *

><p><em>"We grind and grind. We die over and over again. We are both aware and unaware of the fact that we do this for essentially the same reason every time, no matter the seemingly differing circumstances. Yet we continue undeterred. This world is different. Something comes back with us." -A Player<em>

**Chapter 7- Defenses**

**Charlotte, North Carolina **

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**Real World Time- 12:20 PM**

Edward Andylon sat at the bar and took a long gulp from his pint. The pilsner went down smoothly, and he felt the coldness stir his belly awake. A nice chill Pilsner Urquell was just what he needed after a long night of work at the Police Department. Drinking on an empty stomach wasn't really the wisest decision he had made today, but veteran drinkers somehow managed to toughen their stomachs up from younger days of foolish drinking habits.

The bar was relatively empty. People usually didn't come to the bars until at least late afternoon. But in Edward Andylon's mind it was always five o'clock somewhere.

He brought his mug down on the wood bar a little harder than he had intended, and it indicated his frustration to the young cop sitting beside him.

The cop eyed him over the rim of his mug as he gingerly took a sip of his own drink. He was hesitant to ask about his partner's foul mood. Everyone at the station had discovered the hard way that any question that was even inadvertently related to his family life would result in a highly undesirable outcome. It wasn't that he didn't have a good family life. As a matter of fact, he had a wonderful loving wife and two kids who were smart, athletic, and would have promising futures if they stayed the course. The problem was that he was easily irritated, and since he was in this state most of the time at work anyway, it escalated into something much more fierce. He felt that it wasn't anyone's business what happened in his home life, and even if someone didn't intend to inquire about it anyway, it was his immediate assumption.

As the young cop was about to speak, he became distracted by a commercial that appeared on the television.

A pleasant female voice spoke as images of screened electronic devices appeared: cell phones, tablets, laptops, and so forth.

"_Download the Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app to watch your favorite Players traverse the virtual world to wage battles and unlock its secrets. Add Players to your alert list to receive notifications when your Players enter dungeons or engage in combat..._"

Andylon took another draw from his mug in disgust as the commercial continued. Video games were such a senseless waste of time in his opinion.

He noticed that his partner was watching the commercial with clear interest. There was a mesmerized gleam in his eye that Andylon still hadn't gotten used to.

The young cop pulled out his cellphone and accessed the internet via Wifi.

Andylon sighed with exasperation. "Terry, you aren't seriously doing what I think you're doing right?" he asked the question fully aware of the answer.

"Sorry boss, this is the first I've heard of it. Seriously, the technology is friggin amazing. You should just give it a chance and watch some of it. They even say that people's real life abilities are in the game too. Pretty damn cool if you ask me."

"It's a video game," Andylon responded simply.

"Well, yes, but...it's not like you hold a controller or anything. It's like you are really moving around and actually use your own skill to fight. It takes smarts and real ability."

"It's a video game," Andylon repeated.

Terry didn't push his argument further but instead went back to the commercial. The female voice was now describing elements of the game concerning Player stats, levels, the intrinsic scans, and free-roam ability. Viewers were able to see a Player's previous rank from the original game and could place bets on who they thought would be the victor at the start of PvP battles. Of course, viewers had to be the appropriate gambling age to place bets. Viewers also would be awarded magic stones for the original game for other special contests.

"Isn't your son participating?" Terry asked as the commercial ended.

Andylon grunted, "Don't remind me."

He ran a hand through his short, graying hair as if the motion would ease his irritation. It didn't.

Terry shrugged. "Well, I'll be rooting for him. Seriously, try watching it at home a bit to see how he does."

Andylon waved at him dismissively and went back to finishing his beer. He tossed a generous tip onto the bar and rose from his stool.

"You alright to drive boss?" Terry asked.

"I'll be fine. I hold my alcohol a little too well."

Terry laughed. "Yeah all those years of experience old man." He risked the playful jab.

Andylon humored him with a smirk. "I'm not quite fifty yet. When that time comes, you can call me old all you want."

He gave Terry a quick two-fingered salute and headed out of the bar.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest**

**In-Game Timer: Day 1**

**7:45 PM**

Leilan drove her halberd through another taur demon as she subdued the previous with a swift kick to the lower jaw. She pulled her halberd free and swung in a wide arc that sliced the chest of a third taur demon that had entered the fight just a split-second too late. The taur demon stumbled back from the blow but managed to recover itself faster than Leilan had anticipated. It lashed out with its pitchfork and one of its points barely grazed Leilan's leg.

The fight was frustrating. She knew that if she had been at her full strength the taur demon with the chest wound would have easily been dead by now. But due to The Reversion, she was back to square one. Working towards her previous level of power was going to take some getting used to.

She finished off the taur demon and spared a glance at her Player partner who was fighting alongside the soldier named Carther. They stood back to back and cut down any taur demons that attempted to attack from the other's blind side. Ray's fighting style with his katana was rather clumsy when he took the offensive, but Leilan was amazed by his astounding reflexes. He had an impressive awareness of the battlefield, and once he finished off one enemy he would parry another from a seemingly impossible angle. In one instance she even saw him angle his blade to block the attacks of two separate enemies simultaneously. He was talented without a doubt, but he lacked true combat experience.

Carther was no stranger to combat. He gave Ray orders when the situations changed, and the two fighters would shift positions accordingly to better fend off their attackers. He leveled his glaive parallel to the ground and implemented an interesting technique where he would feint with a diagonal strike and then shift his weight to redirect it in a horizontal arc. This technique took an impressive amount of muscle strength and control. Leilan was amazed that he was able to execute it after all the battles he had experienced on the way to the outpost.

An explosion rocked the western wall of the outpost and a group of red demons flew through the sky in a mess of limbs and fire. The force of the explosion also knocked the shield demons off their feet, leaving them exposed for the crossbowmen in the towers to finish them off.

The soldiers manning the cannons ordered the wagons forward to get a better angle on some of the demons that had survived the first blast. They also moved closer to the outpost for fear of an ambush from the forest.

As Leilan cut down another taur demon she heard a familiar female voice by her side. It was Irina.

"I've never seen taur and pyro demons fighting together. Even blood demons joined in," Irina said. She sliced the throat of an approaching blood demon with her broadsword. The winged demon attempted to bring down its scythe with one last attack but received a fist to the face for the effort.

Irina was right. This was the first time Leilan had ever seen different types of demons fighting together. The various demon types usually kept to themselves and even attacked other clans if they intruded on the wrong territory. Some other force was at work here to get these fierce enemies to fight alongside each other.

The guards standing on top of the wall were managing to keep the climbing demons at bay. They resorted to long pole weapons since the archers and crossbowmen couldn't get a proper angle from the towers. One of the guards screamed as a black blood demon swooped in from behind and sliced his lower back. It landed on the platform and drove the pole of its weapon into the face of another guard. More of the flying demons settled behind the wall and lashed out, hoping to distract the guards so that the other types of demons could scale the walls. The archers just simply couldn't take all of the moving targets out of the sky.

Leilan broke off from one of her engagements to meet up with Ray.

She noticed he was accessing the database on his wrist. The restriction on the previous board must have been lifted. As the holographic screen appeared on his database, Leilan felt a surge of energy enter her body and weapon. However, she noticed that it was not nearly as potent as the energy she had received before on the previous board.

Leilan observed Ray and noticed a look of dejection on his face. He gritted his teeth and closed the database. He struck out with his katana in a vent of frustration and Leilan could now see multiple holes in his stance. His reflexes seemed slower, but he didn't appear to be tired in the least.

She decided it would be best to inquire about this change when the fight was settled.

The battle on the ground appeared to be well in hand, but the skies were turning out to be a real issue. She took flight and rammed into two flying blood demons with the armor of her wings.

* * *

><p>Ray stared at the board of orbs and gritted his teeth in frustration. The barrier that surrounded him provided protection while he spent his time solving the board, but the longer he took, the more time he was away from the fight. He also didn't want to disappoint Leilan by giving her a meager portion of power. He was better than this. But the chaos of the fight, the people of his world watching him, the expectations of his partner, they all began to weigh down on him. And now he found that his mind went blank at random intervals for no reason.<p>

He accidentally touched a water orb and began to move it around the board to start making the combinations. He realized at the last minute that he was dragging the wrong orb.

_Dammit! No! I wanted a light orb! _

There was no way he could amend his mistake now that he had already started moving the orb. He couldn't possibly get a combination of light orbs together, so he decided to make a third combination of blue orbs instead to at least increase the combo.

As he finished the board, it locked up with its big red 'X.' He looked to Leilan's stat screen.

_The Divine Harbinger Suzaku, Leilan/Type: God/ Type 2: Attacker/Attribute: Fire/Sub-Attribute: Light/Health: 1,294/Attack: 918/RCV: 201/Active Skill: Southern Seven-Star Formation/Leader Skill: Dance of the Crimson Heaven_

If Ray had picked up the right orb he could have made three combos of one light combination and two fire combinations of three. One of the light orbs on the board was all the way across from the other two it needed to match up with. There was no way he could use a blue orb to get it all the way across to the other two light orbs while also circumventing his pair of fire combinations.

Leilan's leader skill gave her three-and-a-half times more power if wood, light, and fire orbs had three matches or more at the same time. He first wanted to attempt to get these combinations, but then he realized that the only way her leader skill would work is if all three attributes actually _attacked_! Leilan could only attack with fire and light. Without another monster in his team with a wood attribute her leader skill was completely useless. Another major mistake.

He completely messed everything up. They were amateurish oversights, and if people in his world were watching, then they were probably laughing at him right now.

This realization only built on his frustration. He disengaged the barrier and attacked his enemies with wild strikes and ignored everything except for the opponent in front of him.

* * *

><p>The last of the demons retreated into the forest, crippled by the lack of air support due to the god monster that thwarted any semblance of momentum that they previously had. The soldiers on the wall were once again free to deal with the enemies outside the gate, and the archers found that many of their targets were easy to pick off as Leilan herded them together in the sky. The demons in the field were cut down by Ray and Irina's forces with a limited number of casualties. Many others received a mix of minor and major wounds, but none of them were actually life-threatening.<p>

The soldiers of the outpost let the wagons through and raised a victory cheer as the assisting soldiers of Millshore joined their comrades-in-arms.

The same hospitality was extended to Leilan, who was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome.

The upbeat atmosphere was short-lived though as a pair of soldiers dragged a bound, thrashing blood demon along the ground. Its black, leathery skin was covered in splotches of purple and red blood. The guards who noticed the latter were reminded of how many comrades they had lost in the battle. The men threw the demon forward and it landed on its face at Irina's feet. It twisted its face from the dirt and gave Irina an even wider grin than normal. It let out a choked laugh. Her serious expression pleased it greatly.

Irina crouched next to the demon and gave it a frown of distaste. It gave off a disgusting, pungent odor as it breathed heavily through its grinning teeth.

The soldiers waited silently for Irina to speak.

"What are blood, taur, and pyro demons doing working together?" Irina asked the demon, "You little freaks have hated each other for years, and now you are suddenly working together. Why the sudden change?"

The blood demon cackled, "We have a similar interest among us. We love human squeals. So long, loud, and high-pitched. Even the male ones. I wish I could collect them in jars and listen to them every night before going to bed. Oh such pleasure. Heh heh."

Irina punched the demon in the jaw. She was hoping that some of its teeth would fall out so its stupid grin wouldn't be quite so annoying. She was out of luck. The demon licked its bloody lips gleefully.

"I'm not buying it. You creatures don't value your lives, so killing you isn't enough for me. I would sure like to torture you. I wonder if I'll enjoy your squeals as much as you enjoy ours."

The demon let out a choked laugh. "Oh my, don't put that disgusting image in my head. A human deriving in sexual pleasure, how disgusting."

Irina's eye twitched and she frowned deeply at the demon. It laughed even harder at her frustration.

The soldiers surrounding them shifted uneasily on their feet. Carther began to step forward, but Irina held out an arm to stop him.

"Please, let me kill this filth," Carther said angrily. He didn't like this demon playing such crude mind games with his commander. He knew she had it well in hand, but it still infuriated him.

The demon spit a glob of purple blood out of its mouth and laughed even harder.

Before Irina could speak again, Leilan stepped forward and crouched next to her and stared expressionlessly at the demon. Irina didn't move to stop her when she noticed the slight twitch of the demon's mouth as it grinned. The demon stopped laughing as Leilan examined it. It worked to retain its composure, but it was wavering, even if just a little.

Finally, Leilan spoke, "If you demons really do have such a common interest, then you would have taken advantage of an alliance a long time ago I'm sure. So I don't believe you either. Who or what is behind this?"

The blood demon chuckled with a mix of blood and phlegm. It didn't have long, but it decided to amuse itself a little further.

"Heh heh. The dark one. He sees all. He knows all. Heh heh heh."

Leilan didn't question the demon further. She knew that this was all the information that she would get out of it. Besides, the creature was near death anyway. The particles of data that began to float off its body increased in rate. The demon laughed hysterically until the very end of its life.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest**

**In-Game Timer: Day 4**

**2:16 PM**

The days following the attack on the outpost were relatively quiet and uneventful. Small groups of demons of all different attributes risked exposing themselves from time to time to get a peak at what was going on at the outpost, but other than a few skirmishes out on the road with some caravan deliveries, the area was mostly free of any real resistance.

More mining parties arrived from Millshore to collect the ores discovered at the base of the mountain, and the increase in soldiers outside of the outpost made the miners much more comfortable and willing to stray from the safety of the walls.

The presence of Leilan and Ray also aided in lifting everyone's spirits. Some normal dungeons of _novice_ and _intermediate_ difficulty were discovered along the base of the mountains as the miners continued deeper.

Leilan saw a change in Ray from their battle at the outpost. She still recalled that last bit of energy she had received from him during that battle, and how weak it was compared to the first burst of power she had drawn from him. There was still hesitation in his movements, but as they made their way deeper into a dungeon, his concentration improved and his body flowed more naturally when in combat.

There was a look in Ray's eyes at times that seemed distant, like he was lost in thoughts that did not relate to the situation in front of him. He was a different person. A person who was elsewhere.

Leilan dismissed these observations. It didn't feel like the right time to address them.

They were doing well and gaining levels at a decent rate, while also developing a positive relationship with the people of Millshore. These interactions would prove to be invaluable, for even with the uneasy relationship between the people of Millshore and monsters in the past, it would make it much easier for at least Leilan and Ray to travel the area without any disturbances from the local humans. It was bad enough that the area was teeming with demon monsters and whatever else might be lurking out in the surrounding hills and forest.

Then, on the fourth day, a dungeon was discovered that was much different from the others.

* * *

><p>A squad of Irina's soldiers escorted Ray and Leilan to the passage in the mountain where the dungeon was discovered. Irina had also decided to tag along out of curiosity. It was the first time it felt necessary to bring such a large group, but the soldiers felt uneasy about this particular dungeon. It wasn't a feeling they could readily explain.<p>

The passage into the mountain peeled off with a steep descent, and everyone kept their hands free in order to make the trip down safely. The miners had explained that they had never even used explosives to discover the passage or resorted to any amount of digging. It was just there. A few of them decided to venture a look, and that was when the massive stone double-doors were discovered with the strange symbols etched around them.

They arrived at the door after a few narrow, dangerous curves that brought them spiraling down through a misty darkness. It was illuminated by a light from some unseen source. It was too deep to have any light from the outside. The presence of the door was enough to indicate that it was indeed the entrance to a dungeon.

Leilan and Ray approached the large door and examined the symbols at its sides. A roman numeral three was etched into the right side of the door to indicate that it was a _special_ dungeon. These dungeons were rare, and were typically much more difficult than _normal_ dungeons. According to the game guide, these dungeons could also have rare materials for creating and upgrading weapons and items.

There were three straight vertical lines like tally marks on the left side of the door that indicated it was also a _special_ dungeon at the _expert _level.

Ray had only been in the virtual world a few days now, and he found that the other dungeons were not too difficult due to Leilan's combat skills. But taking on a dungeon of this level so early might be biting off more than he could chew.

Leilan eyed him as he began to weigh the possibilities of success based upon their experiences in the other dungeons.

"What do you think?" Irina asked, interrupting Ray's thoughts.

He answered her, but did not take his eyes from the stone door, "I'm not sure. Leilan and I are gaining strength pretty fast, but that typically happens in worlds like this from my experience. Earlier on it is much easier to gain levels, but as you get higher and higher, it becomes increasingly difficult and requires more experience. That being said, the previous dungeons have proven to be pretty simple despite just two of us fighting. It might be doable."

Irina tilted her head in confusion. "Wait, you've been to other worlds like this?"

Ray shook his head. "Well, no, not necessarily. Not physically at least. But I do know the basics of how these worlds function. Let's just say I've been exposed to situations with similar criteria."

Irina nodded in understanding, but Ray could still see the lines of confusion on her face.

Everyone became distracted by Leilan as she moved forward and rested her hand on the door. She closed her eyes and seemed to be listening for something. Everyone around her stood silently until she opened her eyes and backed away.

She was struggling to hide it, but Ray could see the slight narrowing of her eyes as she analyzed the door.

"Something the matter?" Ray asked.

"We need to enter this dungeon," Leilan answered immediately.

Ray walked up next to her and stared at the door as if there was something there that he had missed. Obviously, there was nothing of note to Ray.

"Why do we need to enter this dungeon so badly?" he pressed.

Leilan shook her head. "I can't explain it. I just know."

"If we fail this dungeon then we could lose a lot of the experience we gained from those other dungeons," Ray said with a tinge of apprehension.

"I am aware."

"There's only two of us, and we can't even use your leader skill yet without another monster in our team."

"I know."

Ray sighed and rubbed the back of his head. It was a movement that showed he was nervous, but if Leilan was so insistent upon attempting the dungeon, then he really didn't see how he could argue. It was going to be a tough dungeon without a doubt. He would have to be at the top of his game, but he hadn't been for the past few days due to his nerves.

He remembered his first day in the Departure Tower when he fought alongside the tamadra to take down the many floors of monsters. Their teamwork had been spot-on during the fights, and his orb combinations had turned the tamadra into a force to be reckoned with. But now...

Leilan placed a comforting hand on his shoulder that woke him from his thoughts. Her gesture was soft, but her eyes had a hard intensity as they analyzed him. Ray wouldn't have been surprised if she knew what was going on just by reviewing his face.

At that moment, Ray decided not to think. Leilan's eyes were telling him not to. The soldiers gasped as he placed his hand at the center of the door. A smidgeon of light appeared at the top and drew its way vertically down the center. It disappeared into the ground and the doors opened silently inward to reveal a brightly lit cavern.

Irina stepped forward, peered into the cavern, and let out a low whistle. "Well, at least it's lit up," she commented.

The rest of the soldiers drew back instinctively as if they expected the monsters inside to start pouring out. The cavern remained silent.

"We need to head back to the outpost," Irina said, "I wish you luck. It's crazy, but apparently you monsters and Players can't die. Not really sure how that works. So either way, I will probably see you this evening. I hope you return with success."

With that, she signaled for her men to head back the way they had come. She risked another quick glance back over her shoulder as she made the ascent, but found that Ray and Leilan were already gone.

* * *

><p>"Do not think," Leilan said as they made their way along one of the winding paths in the cavern.<p>

Ray stared uneasily into the various passages that lined the cavern walls. He barely heard Leilan's words; one: because he didn't want to hear them since they only reminded him of his past incompetence; and two: thinking about his past incompetence made him worry about precipitating similar mistakes.

Leilan's words became insistent with her now forceful tone, "You think too much when you are fighting. You do fine at the beginning of a fight because you have no time to think about consequences once you become engaged. But when you have even a moment of breathing room, you start to think too much, and your thoughts most likely stray towards the negative. At the end of the fight, when victory is assured, you begin to relax. You put way too much pressure on yourself, and that leads to self-doubt, which then clouds your judgment and makes you stiff."

Ray was amazed that she had figured out this much about him in just a few days. She must have been watching him closely in their short time together. Ray wasn't sure how to react to all this.

"What are you over-thinking?"

Leilan stopped in front of him on a narrow natural bridge and turned to him purposefully. Ray took a step back as she gave him that hard stare.

At first, Ray thought that her stare was an indication of a critical opinion of him, but Ray now found that it held not a shred of judgment. It was simply a matter of understanding. Her question may have been rather blunt, but it just paralleled her intense personality. There was not a shred of anger to be seen in her eyes or her tone. Ray couldn't quite place it, but her straightforward way of speaking was something he wasn't particularly used to. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant either, even with his reluctance to discuss the subject.

Ray settled his hands on his hips and stared up at the ceiling of the cavern. It was difficult to find the right words.

"You are doing it again," Leilan said.

Ray stared at her in confusion.

"Thinking. Even now you do it too much. With me, I don't want you to worry about coming up with the perfect choice of words. There is no such thing. Just put them together correctly. That is it."

"Okay. Anxiety," Ray blurted out. He took Leilan's suggestion and just threw out the first words that popped into his head. He had heard the word from himself and other people his whole life.

Leilan waited for him to continue.

Ray forced himself to stare straight at her. It was difficult.

"Yes, you're right. I tend to think too much. I am the type of person who thinks negatively about things before considering the positives. I worry that other people will get hurt because of my mistakes. I also hate disappointing others. There."

There it was. He laid it all out.

Leilan smiled. "Well, that's more like it."

Ray tore his eyes away from her in embarrassment. Expressing his personal flaws to someone he had just recently met was not a usual occurrence. He knew that she now understood what he meant about disappointing other people; after all, she was among them.

"As we move further through this dungeon," Leilan continued, "I want you to shut all of that out of your mind."

Ray waited for her to continue but soon realized that she was expecting some sort of confirmation from him.

"Right, got it," he answered, "I'll work on it."

Without another word on the subject, Leilan continued leading him through the dungeon.

_Easier said than done, _Ray thought.

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington<strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**Real World Time- 3:40 PM**

The Gamemaster walked along the line of computer stations as all of his staff continued operations for streaming the events of the virtual world to the public. Large monitors were mounted all over the walls with tables mounted underneath, supporting machines that monitored Player vital signs, neural link compatibilities, intrinsic setting synchronization, and so forth. On the front wall was the largest monitor that depicted a pale white image of a young female who sifted through collections of data that she gathered from her observations of the virtual world.

The AI, Lo, truly was the finest master of her craft. The data that she delivered to the workers at their stations was awe-inspiring.

The Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app was largely successful, just as predicted, already surpassing one hundred million downloads.

The Players had proven to be more competent than the Gamemaster had ever hoped. The battles in the Departure Towers were just a taste of the kind of potential the Players had, and they would only get stronger during the next few days.

The view count had gone up dramatically a couple hours earlier when a young female entered a skirmish almost immediately following the completion of her respective Departure Tower. She and her monster partner had been ambushed by a group of highwaymen, and the sound of battle had reached the ears of some taur demons that were also passing through. It became a three-way battle with the female and her monster emerging victorious.

Thinking back to the battle once again aroused the Gamemaster's curiosity. He went back to his station and pulled up the files of the girl and her monster.

The first bits of their files read:

_Player File #564: _

_Subject: Lucy Cranston_

_Gender: Female_

_Blood Type: O_

_Height: 5' 5''_

_Weight: 110 pounds_

_Eyes: Brown_

_Hair: Brown_

_Game Attribute: Water_

_Monster File #1265_

_Subject: Ethereal Guardian Seiryuu, Karin_

_Gender: Female_

_Type: God/Physical_

_Attribute: Water/Dark_

_Rarity: 7 Stars_

_Active Skill: Eastern Seven-Star Formation (Changes all orbs to water, wood, and dark orbs)_

_Leader Skill: Dance of the Rising Dragon (Attack x3.5 when attacking with water, wood, and dark orbs types at the same time)_

His reading was interrupted by a flashing alert in the top-right corner of his computer screen. He clicked on the alert and an image popped up of a young male Player in black armor walking alongside a female monster wielding what appeared to be some sort of pole weapon. They were in some vast cavern.

The Gamemaster accessed the dungeon's layout and jumped between different viewpoints in various chambers to see what opposition the two would be up against. The dungeon was mostly empty, and he frowned at this peculiarity. The icon in the bottom-right indicated that it was a special dungeon, but there seemed to be nothing interesting of note.

He reached the last chamber and panned the screen back and forth until he came upon an individual that crouched near the back wall of the chamber. The monster wore gold armor with angelic wings folded on the back.

The Gamemaster analyzed the monster and pulled up its file. He scanned over it quickly and his excitement grew.

_This! This is it! _

He rose from his seat and shouted to his staff, "I am sending a transition file to a number of you! We have a Player who has entered a dungeon in the _special _category. This is going to be an important fight ladies and gentleman. Let's give our viewers a show shall we?"

If the fight went well and his people did their job, the view count would easily double. This was going to be the first true fight in the virtual world. It was going to be a battle between God-type monsters.

* * *

><p>The golden knight swam in a sea of his conjoined thoughts and emotions. Fear melded with joy, and anger became constricted by deep despair. He felt an uncomfortable pulsing sensation behind his eyes and faded cracks appeared and mended themselves over his vision like bursting branches of veins. A crimson hue like a shadow crept from the edges of his vision. He breathed heavily as the strange power of the chamber weighed itself upon him and intruded within his very being.<p>

He forced his head down and stared at one of his armored hands.

Something had been there. Something had been in his hand. But now it was gone. Was it something important? He couldn't be sure.

He had no feeling. If there was no feeling, then how could he even care in the first place? Every time he strayed to consider his thoughts the hostile red in his eyes seemed to tremble with anger at his resistance.

_My name..._

He had a name. That was right.

The red that intruded upon his eyes enveloped them and piercing pain seemed to stab throughout his brain. It was a torture that threatened to rip away his existence, to discard it into a limbo that would leave him floating without purpose or meaning. He wanted to grab his head with his hands to numb the intensifying pain, but his body froze against his will. The spasm of pain subsided briefly, but it lingered just outside of his consciousness, as if daring him to defy it again.

_My name...Ver-_

The evil red stifled the thought, and then he knew no more.


	10. Chapter 8- Return

**A/N: Alrighty! New chapter. This one was interesting to write. We delve into a bit more about the orb matching to get that out of the way so we can focus on the fighting! Yes! Fighting! Woot!**

**As per usual: Images of some of the monsters can be found at the puzzle and dragons database. I greatly appreciate any and all reviews, critiques, suggestions, stuff like that. You can even PM me! Wow! And reviews are like coffee because, well, I had something clever I was going to write... Haha. **

**I sincerely hope you all enjoy the latest chapter. **

* * *

><p><em>"The corporation is what pulled our country out of the dirt. Enemies simply dug the grave as we tore ourselves apart. We were buried because we did not make the necessary sacrifices. We will be sure to get it right this time." -Thomas Malkin<em>

**Chapter 8- Return**

**The Virtual World**

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest/Special Dungeon**

**In-Game Timer: Day 4**

**3:04 PM**

Leilan and Ray halted in their tracks as they entered a dimly lit, massive chamber. The previous caverns in the dungeon had been devoid of life, which put Ray and Leilan even more on guard as they proceeded into the chamber. It was hard to miss the individual waiting for them on the opposite side of the room.

The armored knight rose from his crouched position and proceeded towards Leilan and Ray at a slow, even pace. He did not draw his broadsword from the scabbard on his back, but his imposing presence was more than enough to exact its will on Ray.

Ray worked to control his trembling limbs, but he was only partially successful. He and Leilan were in a dungeon that he now knew was far beyond their abilities. It was way too early to be attempting a dungeon of this caliber. But he had given in to Leilan's insistence.

He glanced at his partner. His trembling ceased as he became distracted by Leilan's expression.

She stared open-mouthed at the golden knight who had now cleared half the distance between them. It was like she was in a daze. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Ray managed to find his voice. "Leilan, what's the matter?"

"Verche," Leilan breathed. Her voice was barely audible.

That one name took Ray off guard. She said the name as if she knew Verche; not just his name, but personally. So it really was Verche. A god monster. In the previous game, he wasn't necessarily considered to be a particularly strong god, but even if this held true to this world, he was still far beyond their current level. Ray didn't know how to take Leilan's response.

"Do you know him or something?" Ray asked.

Leilan let out a slow breath before answering, "Yes. But please leave the rest of your questions for later." She cursed. It was an unfortunate situation. She didn't want to fight Verche. He was one of her comrades.

Ray could read the worry on her face. She didn't seem like the type to express her emotions so plainly. Ray knew that he needed to step up. It was his turn to assume the air of calm collectedness for his partner. If she continued with this current mental state, they didn't have a prayer of surviving this battle.

"If we beat Verche he should drop as an egg," Ray said. "Then he will hatch from the egg and we can add him to our team."

Leilan tore her eyes away from Verche. She was grateful for Ray's assurances and nodded her appreciation. The logic of his words cooled her mind and she was able to return to her normal self. Mostly. Given the fact that she had to practically kill her comrade would never return her to a fully keen mindset. But it was far better than before. By defeating Verche, he would be released from whatever controlled him to become an ally once more.

Ray reasoned that Verche would drop as an egg, but even he was unsure. Normally, at least one monster would drop as an egg in a dungeon, and upon completion of the dungeon, that monster could be added to the team. Over the past few days of exploring dungeons, not a single monster had dropped. He didn't know what this meant, but he prayed that this didn't hold true for god monsters as well. After all, how else would he be able to eventually reach a full team of monsters? Verche had to drop. He had to.

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington <strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**Real World Time- 3:42 PM**

A man wearing a beanie hat and an Avenged Sevenfold shirt walked through the halls of the massive corporate building. The south wing of the building was bustling with employees from all of the various tech departments. He didn't particularly care for all of the cacophony and the closed spaces that the crowds caused from being so packed together. However, the chaos was enough to draw any suspicious eyes away from him. He was a little out of place with his informal attire, but the IT department was known for its lenient dress code.

The information he had gleaned from a few hours ago put him in an uncomfortable state of mind. One of the men in the black suits had summoned him to one of the rooms where a young male Player was choosing his monster partner before entering the virtual world. The Player had told him that one of the monsters he wanted to choose was missing from the roster. It was strange to think that someone could make such a mistake, especially since most of the work was automated for all of the tasks leading up to entry.

After fixing the issue, he had asked the Player for his name and returned to his station. With some digging around with the files that Emily Tanner had given him, he confirmed that the Player was indeed Ray Andylon, the _SSS _rank that was mentioned in a prior conversation.

Ray was a_ SSS _rank, and the monster that was his first choice had been missing from the roster. Coincidence? Absolutely not. The enemy was aware of Ray Andylon now, and since they had taken such measures to impede his progress, it could be safely assumed that they saw him as a potential threat; which meant Ray actually could be a possible ally in the future. He wasn't part of the enemy plan, but which side Ray would take was still unknown. He couldn't be trusted just yet.

The crowd of people began to thin out as he took a left down a side hallway and entered a small plaza with multiple elevators lining the walls. He had analyzed the layout of the building countless times to make sure he knew which elevator would present him with the least resistance depending upon the number of individuals that passed through his route.

As he was about to enter one of the elevators, he felt the vibration of his phone in a pocket of his jeans. He pulled it out and saw Emily's name on the caller ID. There were only two other people who had access to his secure line, but he still found himself breathing a sigh of relief when he recognized the number. He glanced up warily and observed the people around him. The area was still pretty loud and he noticed a corner next to an ATM machine that was a safe span from prying ears.

He answered the call and heard Emily's voice. "Everything good so far Rick?"

"Yeah. We're good. I'm at the first elevator. Are you in position?"

There was a shuffling on her end before she answered. Rick waited for her response, but her hesitation began to instigate worry.

Finally, she responded, "All good now."

"Okay, I'm about to enter the first elevator. Wait about five minutes after I hang up and then put the cameras I listed on the loop. I only need maybe a fifteen minute window."

"Got it. Be careful."

"Will do."

He hung up and proceeded back to the first elevator. Luckily, the elevator was crowded, making it easier to blend in so he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb. His luck held out as most of the people of the elevator exited on the same floor that he did. Now it was time to reach the second elevator.

The halls were still painted with the same plain white color that made the building feel like some sort of hospital. The white also made the men in black stand out even more, making them extra intimidating. He walked past them and assumed an air of calm to indicate he was used to the atmosphere. The men paid him no mind as he turned the last corner to reach the last elevator.

He fished into his pocket for the keycard that would give him access to the elevator. He swore vehemently as his sweaty hand got stuck in the pocket with the keycard wedged between his fingers at an awkward angle. He hated jeans. The pockets were so damn small. He couldn't afford any delays, especially with the time constraint he had given Emily.

As he managed to wiggle his hand out of the pocket with the keycard, he heard a voice behind him that practically made him jump out of his skin. He turned to the voice faster than what would appear normal and saw a man in what appeared to be a lab coat eyeing him up and down. The man adjusted his spectacles and addressed him again.

"This is a restricted area. You mind telling me what you're doing up here?"

Rick froze at the question. He had an excuse made up in case this sort of situation should arise, but he found that his words were caught in his throat. His mouth opened but no words came out.

The man in the lab coat sighed. "IT department right? You recluses seem to have a hard time with people outside your little niche."

Rick thanked his lucky stars that this man had completely misunderstood his panic for simple social anxiety. The man saw Rick as one of the stereotypical antisocial tech geeks.

This stroke of luck was enough to calm him down so he could speak somewhat coherently.

"I'm, uh, looking for the third computer terminal area for the PADW project that's going on. The guys running it wanted me to, um, check out a small bug in one of the links or something."

The man in the lab coat cocked an eyebrow at this. "Then why are you heading to the Cell Lab?"

Rick turned back to the elevator and read the placard that was lined over the top. The words read: _Cellular Reproduction/Growth Testing Lab 2B_

Rick let out a nervous laugh and put his face in the palm of his hand. He shook his head and slapped himself on the forehead.

"I always seem to get lost in this stupid building. I can't stand this layout."

The man with the spectacles laughed with genuine humor. "Yeah, I hear yah on that one. This is my area of expertise and I still get lost from time to time." He threw a thumb over his shoulder in the other direction. "The elevator you're looking for is that way. Just one wrong turn that's all."

Rick nodded his appreciation and moved to pass him, but the man stopped him with a sidestep that caught Rick by surprise.

"I gotta ask," the man said. There didn't seem to be any indication that he suspected Rick of anything judging by his tone.

"You guys know stuff about all these apps and stuff right?" He pulled out his cellphone and looked around to make sure nobody was watching. He saw that Rick noticed this and shrugged. "Those guys in black are real hard-asses. Cellphones are restricted in this area, but it's not like anybody had a problem with it before until those guys showed up."

He opened up an app on his phone and Rick saw that it was the Puzzle and Dragons Viewer app.

The man handed the phone to Rick. "I'm trying to figure out how to pull up the split-screen setting so I can watch two Players at once, but the app doesn't come with a guide. Maybe you know how to do it?"

Rick sighed with relief, but this guy was going to give him a heart attack if he kept holding Rick up. The clock was ticking, and Emily would be putting the cameras into a loop soon. He was losing a lot of time.

Fixing the man's problem turned out to be relatively easy and Rick was grateful that the man had no further questions to ask him. The man gave Rick an appreciative slap on the back and went back to his work.

Rick quickened his pace to the opposite elevator and unconsciously gave one of the men in black a nod of greeting. The man made no indication that he noticed the gesture.

He placed the keycard over the scanner and the elevator doors parted. The elevator descended several floors below the base of the building and came to a smooth halt. The doors slid open to reveal a long hallway that intersected with two diverging stairways that led further downwards.

Rick checked his watch and cursed. He was already three minutes past the time he had told Emily to set the cameras. Now he was really cutting it close.

Rick had instructed Emily to set specific cameras to play the same footage over and over to avoid detection. He wished he had told her that all of the cameras would be put on loop simultaneously. If someone were to be walking past a camera at that time, their image would be played over and over. That would certainly seem strange to the security officers on duty.

There were only a few corporate employees down in this area, but even so, he limited himself to a brisk walk so he wouldn't draw any unwanted attention. A few passersby glanced at him curiously, but most of them paid him no mind as they continued examining documents on their clipboards or whatever else required their attention.

Rick hung the next right and took the stairway down two steps at a time when he was out of sight. As he rounded another bend he came upon a solid metal door. Another keycard scanner was planted in the wall next to the door handle with a numerical, holographic keyboard underneath. A second device with a small glass dome stuck out of the wall with a cylindrical device inside.

Rick produced another keycard from his pocket and the scanner accepted it with a short ping and a green light. He then typed in the numerical code and the scanner presented the same positive response. The next step, the retinal scanner, was going to be much trickier.

He pulled both of his sneakers off and examined the soles to find the loose bit of leather that would open the hidden compartments underneath. He wiggled the tip of his nail into one of the grooves in the bottom of the shoe and peeled back the rubber. This same process was repeated on the other shoe and he pulled out the contents hidden inside. The last piece he needed was in the tongue of one of the shoes, and so he dug his nail into the lightly stitched fabric where he had previously torn a barely- noticeable gap. A tiny plastic rod was inside, barely longer than an inch. The four other pieces from the soles of his shoes had two smooth planes and a rounded side. Rick placed all four pieces beside each other and held them together with the fingers on one hand. When they were all evenly placed together on their flat sides, he inserted the plastic rod through them and he heard a satisfying click as it attached the other pieces together, much like a three-dimensional puzzle.

The resulting sphere was slightly smaller than the size of a ping pong ball. It was nearly white all around with a blue hue and a circle of inky black at its center. It looked exactly like a human eyeball, and for all intents and purposes, it was. An artificial eye.

Rick took a deep breath and held the iris over the retinal scanner. He felt his sweat sticking to his skin when the scanner did not respond. He wondered if it had rejected the artificial eye. It could have been sending out an alert to security right now.

After a few more seconds, the familiar ping sounded and the third green light turned on. Rick breathed a huge sigh of relief.

_You truly were a genius Takamura._

A female voice welcomed him to the mainframe, "_Welcome, CEO Akio Kurosaki. For security purposes, this visit will be recorded in the Head Officer database for future reference."_

Rick ignored the female voice and entered the mainframe. He was running short on time. It was going to be very close.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest/Special Dungeon**

**In-Game Timer: Day 4**

**3:08 PM**

The knight who was once known as Verche deflected a hesitant strike from the emotionally shaken Leilan. It was out of character for her to be overwhelmed by something as detrimental as emotion in a fight. Her face didn't show it, but an internal battle was being waged.

Ray knew there was no possible way they could achieve victory with both their mindsets in turmoil. Leilan did not want to kill her comrade, even though Ray had insisted that he would drop as an egg and be reborn as his old self. Based upon their fights in the previous dungeons, he felt she somehow knew that this was not a guarantee. It was a possibility. Ray could be revived upon death and so could Leilan because she was his monster partner. There was no evidence that this would prove the same for a monster that was bound to a dungeon. And with Ray's own mental problems, the fight was already out of their favor.

Leilan side-stepped a second strike from Verche, but it forced her back on her heels, which gave Verche an opening to whirl about with his sword to slice along the outside of her thigh. She clenched her teeth in pain as she fought to reestablish her stance by allowing her momentum to roll over her heels. This motion enabled her to land on her toes, and she pushed off her balanced foot to dodge a second attack. Verche's sword grazed along her ankle, but it was nothing that would cause too much damage to her health.

Ray examined Verche's information as soon as his analysis was complete.

_Monster: Godly Knight of the Sky, Verche/Attribute: Light/Sub-Attribute: Light/Health: Unknown/ATK: Unknown/DEF: Unknown/Active Skill: Light Orb Change/Active Skill: Weapons of Light_

The analysis didn't provide any useful information. Most of it was common knowledge. Ray had no idea how much damage they could sustain from Verche's attacks. He didn't even know how much damage was needed to pierce his defenses or how much health he had. The explanation of the second active skill was rather vague. It simply said that Verche could call upon light weapons. Ray couldn't know what to expect from such a vague description.

Ray examined the board of orbs in front of him. He had been given a terrible board. Most of the orbs were water, wood, and dark. The only orbs useful to him were the few fire and light orbs available. He needed to make sure that he cleared out as much of the used space as possible so that the next board was more favorable.

He picked up a water orb with his finger and made as many combinations as he could to get rid of the useless orbs. He became distracted by a cry of pain from Leilan and he involuntarily glanced up to see how much danger she was in. The motion of his head forced his upper body to follow it, and the finger that was moving the orbs accidentally lifted from the holographic screen, ending Ray's time for matching orbs indefinitely.

Ray stared in dismay at the board as it closed up. Trepidation transformed to anger as he punched the database on his wrist. He had messed up again, and it would probably cost them dearly. Leilan had hardly any power to fight off Verche.

But now was not the time to wallow in self-pity.

* * *

><p>Leilan backed away from a concentrated thrust from Verche that was accompanied with a short jab from one of his wings. He was expertly using his wings as a weapon when the opportunity presented itself. Verche's broadsword was overwhelming, and Leilan noticed Verche attempting to insert his sword into the curve of her weapon, which would then give him some control of her upper body so he could form an opening in her stance for his wings to penetrate without any risk of damage. The swift blows of the wings did not decrease her health much, but that was not the purpose of these attacks. They were meant to force her back on her heels for yet another strike from the broadsword.<p>

Leilan noticed Ray out of the corner of her eye as he finished a board of orbs. He had the same expression on his face from the battle at the outpost and in the past dungeons. He was losing control.

Verche took advantage of this distraction and leveled his wrist just as he saw Leilan's eyes dart to the side. He pointed the small shield on his arm directly at Leilan's upper body, just below the neckline. The small shield on his wrist launched itself at Leilan and he rushed forward immediately after the dangerous projectile locked onto its target.

Leilan barely noticed the swirling missile as she tore her attention away from her partner. Her arm had relaxed along with her diverted attention, which forced her to lose that precious half of a second that was needed to block the speeding shield. The shield glanced off the pole of her halberd with a metallic clang and angled itself towards her shoulder. The shield collided and destroyed her shaky defensive stance, bringing one of her legs back so that she now faced Verche sideways.

Verche had already closed the distance with a rebound offensive. There was no way for Leilan to bring up her halberd in time. It was now held in her arm that was opposite from Verche with the curved blade scraping the ground at an awkward angle. Leilan braced herself for the attack.

As Verche prepared to slice through Leilan's body, a familiar figure jumped in front of her.

"Activate puzzle mode!" Ray shouted.

The bluish barrier appeared around him and enacted its exterior force. Anything within the circumference of the barrier was forced outwards; this included Leilan, who felt herself being pushed back along the ground outside of the barrier.

Verche, already in the midst of his swing, could not possibly halt his motion. The broadsword collided with the barrier and the blue hue began to bend and shape like waves beating within a closed space. This moment was fleeting, and the barrier reinstated itself into its perfect, smooth semi-circle. Ray felt the energy of the sword's blow against the barrier seep into him. It was a strange lukewarm feeling that spread throughout his body. Then, the energy recollected itself according to Ray's will.

All that was on Ray's mind was hurting Verche. The energy understood this and concentrated itself at eye level within the barrier. The cerulean hue morphed into a swirling lime green, and then, it launched itself at Ray's assailant.

Verche lifted his sword to deflect the beam of green. His shield was now gone after its attack on Leilan. A portion of the beam split against the edge of Verche's sword and arced towards the ceiling which fractured into a hail of stone. The other half of the beam drove its way into Verche's chest armor and plunged him into the ground. He angled his body in an attempt to put himself into a gramby roll that would focus his direction towards his shoulder to bring him upright. A stray rock that had fallen from the ceiling mocked this plan. Verche's shoulder made heavy contact with the edge of the rock and sent him sprawling sideways in an uncontrollable spin. Verche landed flat on his chest in a heap of debris. Many of the sharp points of the jagged rock found creases in Verche's armor and drove through. The wounds were shallow, but they inflicted plenty of pain nonetheless. It was enough to provide Ray and Leilan a brief respite.

The beam from the barrier had taken Ray by surprise, but he didn't take the time to admire the damage he had dealt to Verche. The board was ready again. Leilan was still in the midst of using the meager energy he had given her earlier, so the new board would not actually distribute the energy until a later time in the fight. They would have to stall as long as possible until the time came when Leilan could enact an effective counter-offensive.

Before he placed his finger on the board he heard Leilan's voice behind him, "Don't think."

Ray turned to her in surprise. She was in a poor state from her one-sided clashes with Verche. Blood had already begun to crawl down the side of her leg and the most recent blow to her shoulder was turning a nasty purple color. Despite all of this, her expression appeared to me more damaged than her actual body. The sight of her in such a weakened state made Ray's body feel sick, as if he was sharing in her hurt. It wasn't guilt. It was something else he couldn't quite place.

"Remember what I told you," Leilan said. There was a renewed confidence in her tone. "Don't think. Just act."

Ray turned away from her and stared at the board. He didn't understand how she could assume such a confident posture with the way the fight was going. They were, for lack of a better word, getting their asses kicked. Her words didn't fully sink in until her next statement.

"You did well in the Departure Tower."

Ray regarded her with a confounded look.

Leilan just smiled.

Her expression confused him. He somehow managed to find his voice, "Y-you were watching me? How?"

Leilan ignored the question and strode around the barrier to stand in front of him. "Now's not the time."

Ray looked past her and saw that Verche was now rising and already had his sword at the ready.

"No thinking," Leilan repeated.

Ray nodded weakly and stared down at the board of orbs. He didn't take his gaze from it as he thought back to Leilan's bouts with Verche.

Ray selected a light orb and spoke, "I got it. And you take the same advice."

It was Leilan's turn to be taken aback. Her bewilderment was brief, but Ray's comment was enough. He was correct. She had to believe that he was right about Verche returning as his normal self.

And besides, if they didn't defeat him now, what other group might come along to defeat him? Would they be friends or foes?

And what if nobody else did discover this dungeon? Would she just leave Verche here to rot in this dungeon alone never to see the light of day? He would be deprived of the precious light that might as well have been his life. She would never be able to forgive herself.

Leilan took a deep breath. "Thank you, Ray."

With that last word, Leilan firmly grasped the pole of her weapon and rushed forward with new-found vigor. She would save Verche and they would get the hell out of this forsaken dungeon.

* * *

><p><strong>Seattle, Washington <strong>

**United States**

**May 25, 2020**

**Real World Time- 3:47 PM**

Rick weaved his way around the seemingly endless rows of consoles and computers that littered the large control room. The mainframe was connected to multiple servers that were currently dark and unused. The virtual world was currently running on a LAN network so that nobody from the outside could gain access. There were only certain areas that the virtual world could be accessed: the Gamemaster's control room, the Players' login points, and the mainframe.

The Gamemaster's control room was full of only people with direct authorization from the Gamemaster himself, or from corporate CEOs such as Kurosaki, Alsheimer, and Malkin. Getting into the control room was impossible given Rick's current falsified status. There was no way he could fake his information in-person to break through such a high level on the chain of command.

The Players' login points were also not an option. The headgear that sent them to the virtual world was programmed to admit very specific individuals. The headgears were personalized and only admitted the individual assigned to it. When Players logged out from time to time, the headgear and console would be scanned to allow updates to the game. The risk was far too great and nobody could be trusted just yet.

The only place left that could fulfill his needs was the mainframe. Only the corporate CEOs were permitted to enter this area. Some high-level security personnel were given clearance as well, but only with corporate approval that came straight from the top and with an escort.

Rick examined the various consoles. Much of them involved the classified records of Future Artificial Networking: some high security applications, consumer statistics, and other hidden processes. Rick would have loved to take the time to hack into the secrets of the corporation if he hadn't been given is strict time frame.

Rick finally found a section of the massive mainframe that he was searching for and he pulled out his phone. He opened the small compartment underneath the phone's base that held the USB wireless adapter. Rick had made a few modifications to the adapter and enhanced the signal to also provide access to only a single device. The wireless signal would not be detected by any other devices. He hoped. It was impossible to tell what security measures were in place for this project in cyberspace. Technology had provided too many variables over the past years.

The USB ports were actually inside a pull-out section of the mainframe, and he carefully slid it out to reveal dozens of areas for his adapter to connect. He traced his finger along them and stumbled upon the female port he was searching for.

Rick connected the wireless adapter to the USB port. He then opened an application to examine the signal to see if it had gone active. After a few seconds, the cellphone confirmed that the adapter was connected. He was thankful that he had decided against making this application of his own design available to the public.

Now all that was left was to confirm that his laptop miles away was able to receive the signal. The signal had to be immensely powerful, and he hoped that the adapter had enough strength. Upping the reach of the signal had been a major pain in the ass.

The time on Rick's phone indicated that he only had a few minutes to spare. He chuckled and thought that he must have set some kind of record.

Rick shoved his phone back into his pocket and pushed the pull-out shelf of the mainframe into its previous position. He was glad to see that the wireless adapter was concealed. It was likely that nobody would find it as long as he/she wasn't searching for it specifically. There was also probably no reason for this section of the mainframe to be used since everything was on the LAN network.

He hurried out of the room and took the stairs more cautiously this time around. There were still only a few people in the area and they ignored him altogether.

Rick called for the elevator and shifted back and forth on his toes and heels nervously. Just before the elevator arrived, he noticed an employee in one of the offices watching a video on his laptop. A young man in dark attire and a female wielding a halberd were locked in combat against a dangerous knight in gold armor.

Rick stared at the screen for a moment. He recognized that young man.

As the elevator doors opened the familiar face hit him. It was Ray Andylon.

* * *

><p><strong>The Virtual World<strong>

**Pirugan Continent, Demeter Forest/Special Dungeon**

**In-Game Timer: Day 4**

**3:12 PM**

Ray placed his finger on the light orb he had chosen that would bring the rest of the orbs together.

_No thinking. Just see._

He shut out the battle that was going on in front of him. As of right now, he was not a part of it. All that should concern him was the board of orbs laid out in front of him. What happened after was after.

He stared at the board and took in the different positions of all the orbs. He had done well to clear off the dark and water orbs. Some wood orbs still remained, but they were not too detrimental. After a few seconds, he gasped as he saw a path that he could take the light orb along that would form...

Ray moved the orb faster than he ever had since entering the new world. He saw it. He saw the path. The path that would lead to the power Leilan needed. The combos formed naturally. The movements were smooth. As the orbs faded to nothingness, more fell from above, creating even more combinations in a number of successful skyfalls. The number of combos reached five, seven, nine, and then, miraculously, it reached the double-digits. The number twelve stared back at him, and it distributed energy with the contribution of each combination. This power intensified and closed in on itself as the board turned gray and locked.

How much power had he really given her? Ray was not sure, but they would find out once a new board of orbs was ready.

Leilan did well to hold Verche back. She even managed to counter a few attacks with her own that put Verche on a brief defensive. Her strikes were precise and calculated once again, her stance firm and without a single misstep as she planned her next attack whilst in mid-strike.

Verche reoriented himself as the blade of Leilan's halberd glanced off his wrist armor and scraped along his arm. His willingness to allow the blade to cut into his exposed flesh took Leilan by surprise. Her forward momentum was enough for Verche to place the tip of his blade right in her path of movement.

Before Leilan's body drove into the blade, the power generated by Ray surged into her. An outward force that resulted pushed Verche back, his armored feet skid along the ground as he attempted to retain his stance.

Leilan's back arched and her body trembled as this new, overwhelming energy swelled and dispersed through her limbs.

This power. The power of the orbs. It had exceeded all of her expectations. Her mind and body just simply hadn't been ready for it.

If she could receive such power from this Player even without her leader skill, then what other potential did he have hidden away?

_These Players..._Leilan thought.

They were the key to everything. With them, they could win the coming battles. They could win this war. She could save Verche.

As the power subsided, Leilan stared at her hands and saw the orange and crimson aura that emanated from them. She grabbed her halberd and the flames from her hands seeped into the weapon. The blade soon resembled a similar quality.

The knight who was once Verche took a controlled step back, not the least bit intimidated by Leilan's astounding display. He drove his broadsword into the stone floor. As he did so, a force akin to Leilan's rushed throughout the room and nearly threw his adversaries off their feet. A board of orbs consisting of weapon symbols appeared, and he went to work matching them before Leilan and Ray could collect themselves.

Verche finished the board with a total of six combinations. Six pillars of light appeared from the ceiling and an assortment of weapons drove themselves into the floor.

Ray was just barely able to discern the board that Verche had formed. The skill was completely unexpected and was nothing like the active skills he was accustomed to.

"Leilan, what the hell kind of skill is that?" he shouted in disbelief.

Before Leilan could respond, Verche grabbed the first weapon firmly and launched himself at her, beating his wings more furiously than ever. The scythe that Verche wielded grazed along Leilan's side as she redirected it with her halberd. The blade of the scythe cut across behind her as she extended her arm out to distance it. As she did so, she beat her wings once to lift her from the ground and drove both feet into Verche's head. Even as Verche reared back from the blow, Leilan executed a graceful back flip. She landed as Verche was about to hit the ground, swung her halberd in a downward arc, and dug the blade of her halberd into Verche's chest. Verche grunted as the blade attempted to cut through the resisting armor.

The halberd sliced into the armor in a shower of sparks and screaming metal. But even the concentrated power in the blade was not enough to pierce all the way through.

Verche made a quick sign with his fingers that went unnoticed by Leilan, and before she could even respond, a short sword, from out of nowhere, impaled her right shoulder.

Leilan's eyes widened and she let out a pained gasp as the short sword violently pierced through her flesh. It penetrated all the way to the hilt where it was forced to halt its skewer; however, the driving force still remained. The sword carried Leilan straight back as if nothing had interrupted its flight. Leilan felt a sensation as if she were weightless and the sword drove her into the opposite wall in a shower of eradicated stone.

* * *

><p>Ray had already been on the move to flank their opponent as Verche initiated the sneak-attack on Leilan. As Verche rose from the ground, Ray swung his katana downward, only for it to be intercepted by Verche's wrist guards. Verche crossed his other wrist underneath to halt the weight Ray was distributing to the blade.<p>

A monster was just simply too powerful for a Player. Especially a god-type monster.

Verche forced his arms out wide and pushed Ray's blade a sufficient distance so he could roll to the side and reestablish his stance. He discarded the scythe in favor of a weapon more suited to his style: an enhanced broadsword.

Ray glanced over at where Leilan sat gripping the sword driven into her shoulder. She was obviously in terrible shape after that last devastating attack.

_Just a little longer, _he thought desperately. _Just a little longer and the next board will be ready. I should be able to heal her with some heart orbs._

Verche interrupted his thoughts with a quick thrust of his sword that Ray dodged with his quick reflexes. A second strike glanced off the side of his katana, but it unexpectedly changed course and drove itself into his leading foot.

Ray stared down at his impaled foot in disbelief as blood seeped out of the tear in his leather boot where the weapon was lodged. He didn't scream. He didn't make a sound. But the pain was unlike anything he had ever felt; worse than when he had fractured his wrist falling off his bike, more excruciating than when he had taken a line drive to the face at baseball practice, more than any of it. The pain threshold in this world was lowered. He had known that since the Departure Tower. But this...

His eyes were drawn back impulsively to Leilan who was now rising unsteadily to her feet.

The pain began to numb. As it dissipated, Ray could see a slight shift in Verche's weight. He was leaning further forward on the hilt of his blade. It drove the sword deeper into Ray's foot, but Verche was also moving his upper body towards him.

Ray looked down at the leather straps attached to his wrist. He had forgotten what his second weapon choice had been up until now.

_ Aw what the hell, _he thought desperately.

Ray flicked the switch between his thumb and pointer finger and the hidden blade appeared from the metal compartment beneath his wrist. He simultaneously lashed out with a desperate right hook and drove the blade through the crease between Verche's helmet and the pauldrons attached to his shoulders. The spurting blood was confirmation that the blade had cut into its intended target.

Verche groaned as he instinctively reached with his hand to stifle the wound. As Verche fell forward, Ray lifted his opposite knee and drove it into his already damaged helmet. With the wound in his neck and this second disorienting blow, Verche reeled back and his grip loosened on his weapon.

Ray saw his opportunity. He pulled the blade out of his foot and managed to ignore the catastrophic pain. His adrenaline seemed to pump more as he quelled the hurt. But he made the same mistake as Leilan. Seizing this opportunity and witnessing the collapse of his opponent's defense unwittingly fed his confidence. He failed to notice the movement of Verche's fingers as he fell.

Before Ray could drive his sword through Verche, the tip of a spear entered his back.

* * *

><p>Leilan saw the spear that drove into Ray. Ray turned his head and stared down at the spear in disbelief. His sword fell from his grasp to clatter on the floor. The resounding metal echoed in the silence that followed. He touched the area where the spear had penetrated and stared at his blood-stained hand. Upon seeing the blood, he collapsed.<p>

Leilan tested her wings and found that they at least still retained their strength. She didn't bother to remove the short sword that still penetrated her shoulder. She pushed off the wall and flew furiously for Verche, her halberd supported by her one working arm.

Leilan let out a gasp as Verche prepared to finish off her partner.

Then, suddenly, Verche was flying backwards through the air in the opposite direction. He landed a few yards away from Leilan's position and she redirected her course.

Leilan could now see what had thrown Verche back. Ray's barrier was in effect and the green aura that had exacted the force began to dissipate. Leilan laughed with relief as Ray rose unsteadily to his feet. The barrier had also pushed the spear out of his back. Anything hostile within a Player barrier was forcibly removed.

"Leilan!" Ray shouted with what energy he could muster.

She turned to him in mid-flight and saw him pressing some unseen button on his database. At the same time she felt a throbbing sensation from her halberd.

_This is._

She landed a short distance from Verche who was already charging forward. She drove the blade of her halberd into the stone floor. "Initiate active skill _Southern Seven-Star Formation_!"

The floor seemed to erupt beneath her as seven glowing objects burst forth from the stone. They shined brilliantly in the chamber for a short time before entering Leilan and the halberd that was still embedded in the stone.

She tapped into the ability of one of the shining objects and the short sword in her shoulder eased itself out of her body and fell to the floor. The wound bled for a brief time before being sealed by another one of the gleaming stars. Her health was not even close to being fully recovered, but she felt it would be enough.

A holographic board appeared in front of her face. She could see the orbs moving over each other to form combinations that would soon provide their power. Her ability had also turned all of the orbs on Ray's board into light, wood, and fire orbs. Luckily for them, the vast majority of these orbs were light and fire, perfect for Leilan's main and sub-attribute.

They moved at an incredible speed.

Verche had nearly closed the distance between them.

_So this is what you can really do for me Ray, _Leilan thought.

The orbs completed their work and the power entered Leilan's body once again. It was even greater than before. And this time she was ready for it.

The outward force from the orbs did not deter Verche in the least this time. He charged through it unfazed and prepared to subdue Leilan with a two-handed strike from his sword.

Leilan swung her halberd as he came within reach. The halberd collided with the sword briefly for just a split-second. And then, after some resistance, the sword shattered into hundreds of shards of metal and dancing light particles. The halberd continued its way towards Verche and completely sliced through his body armor. A brutal gash from shoulder to opposite thigh spurted a fountain of blood as the blade cut deep into his flesh.

Leilan finished the swing and averted her eyes as the gold knight fell to his knees. Verche wordlessly stared down at the lethal wound. He quivered in this stance for a short time and turned his head to Leilan.

Leilan heard a muffled voice from the knight's helmet, "I'm sorry, Leilan_._"

He collapsed face-down on the bloodied floor.

Leilan also fell to her knees and rested her halberd gently on the ground next to her. She leaned forward and used her trembling hands to support her.

_I'm so sorry Verche. _


End file.
